In the breakfast room
The team opens the door to the Franziskustreff in the morning. They serve the guests with dignity at their seats. In the breakfast room, they experience the worries and needs of homeless and poor people.
Brother Michael Wies OFMCap, director of the Franziskustreff:
The Liebfrauen Monastery in the heart of Frankfurt am Main is my home. I am a social pedagogue, social worker (BA) and Capuchin friar by profession and vocation. I run the Franziskustreff right next to the Liebfrauenkirche. The team there serves breakfast for homeless and poor people on weekdays. The full-time and volunteer staff serve up to 180 guests at the centre. The Franziskustreff also offers social counselling for those who want it.
In addition to my internal management role, I also directly support homeless people. These are people who have been given accommodation by the Franziskustreff Foundation. I am at their side on their way back to an independent life. I also work in partnership with the other homeless aid organisations in Frankfurt. Well-networked in urban society, politics and culture, I advocate for the interests of homeless people and make their difficult situation more visible.
Teachers are welcome to contact me with their school classes and student groups to find out more about the work of the Franziskustreff (and the life of the Capuchins in Liebfrauen) during a guided tour of the centre.
Together with Thomas Koch, I am also responsible for the management of the Franziskustreff Foundation. I specialise in the areas of strategy and social policy.
Katrin Renz, Head of Housekeeping:
My name is Katrin Renz. I have been coming to the breakfast room at the Liebfrauenkirche for many years. In the beginning, I served the guests as a volunteer. I filled the plates with sausage and cheese. I added a friendly smile to coffee or tea.
Today, as head of housekeeping, I make sure that the Treff can offer up to 180 guests a hearty breakfast every day, working hand in hand with the housekeeping team. I plan the services so that there are always enough volunteers and full-time staff to serve the guests. And it's important to keep an overview: What do we need to buy again? How do we decorate for Easter? What do we surprise our guests with at Christmas? The guest there needs a plaster. Please wipe up and check out!
My varied day starts at 6.00 am. It has many other tasks in store, in addition to welcoming and looking after the morning breakfast guests. Anyone who would like to support our breakfast programme with donations in kind should contact me and my colleague Dariush Rahimi. Find out more here.
I am also responsible for planning and organising seasonal holidays, parties for the guests and events with benefactors. But I also keep an eye on maintaining the Franziskustreff's own traditions. For example, the small flower arrangements that adorn his portrait in the breakfast room on important days commemorating our founder, Brother Wendelin.
Every application for a vacancy in housekeeping lands directly on my desk. From the job interview to recruitment and induction, I support everyone who starts in the breakfast room. And I'm always there for the volunteers, employees and those doing their voluntary social year and federal voluntary service who are committed to helping homeless and poor people in the Franziskustreff.
Dariush Rahimi, Deputy Head of Housekeeping:
I have been supporting the housekeeping management at the Franziskustreff since September 2023. I'm a familiar face to everyone here. For a long time, I was the first person to greet the homeless and poor guests at the door of the breakfast room. As a security officer, I mediated conflicts. And made sure that everyone was safe. Together with Katrin Renz, I now ensure that everything runs smoothly every day. So that the guests can enjoy the sumptuous breakfast.
I coordinate shopping, gratefully accept food donations and always have an open ear for our volunteers. I am also often involved in ReBeCa (Reden-Begegnen-Café) on Wednesday afternoons. Together with my colleague from social counselling, Andrea Knechtel, I give fitness classes here. I also support the hairdressing team, who visit us once a month on a voluntary basis.
Maria Kilchenstein, employee in housekeeping and at ReBeCa:
I have been a full-time employee since 2020. My work here has taught me a lot. Above all, how to deal with homeless and needy people. This has also developed my way of looking at, understanding and supporting people. My tasks include serving, making coffee, cutting bread and much more. I'm involved with the women as part of our Talk-Meet-Café (ReBeCa) format. And for the Advent coffee. With homemade angels to go with it. Because I like making things myself. And I love Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging.
I like to have breakfast on the balcony. Eggs and bacon are a must. As well as yoghurt and fruit salad. I have a favourite quote: "If you can't be the top of the mountain, be the grass in the forest, but be yourself." My personal motto is: Always finish what you start.
„Our volunteers are also particularly close to my heart. I am thrilled by the loyalty with which they are here with us for our guests.“Regina Merckle
HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY
Katrin Renz
Head of Housekeeping
In social counselling
Forms, dealing with the authorities or simply listening. Our social counselling service right next to the breakfast room supports all guests who need it.
Svetlana Strojan, social worker:
My door, the social counselling service, is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 12:00. If you like, you can find me there during breakfast time. For advice and support. Whether with applications, copies for job applications or finding accommodation.
As a social worker, I and my team of volunteers always have an open ear if someone wants to talk about their worries and problems. Trust is very important for this. In the reliability of the breakfast programme. In being able to feel welcome. In the sincere attentiveness that everyone encounters at the Franziskustreff. Thanks to the gifts of many benefactors, it is possible for trust to develop and grow in such an environment. This gives our guests new courage. At their own pace: to be able to get back on their feet.
Andrea Knechtel, social worker and project coordinator for participatory programmes for poor people:
I have been working as a social worker in Frankfurt am Main for thirty years. Back then, I started as a street worker in Frankfurt's Ostend neighbourhood. Over the years, I started organising leisure activities for homeless people. That's when I met Brother Wendelin. At that time, he had just opened the Franziskustreff, which offered breakfast and social counselling for people in need. I found him to be very humble. People were close to his heart. No matter where they came from, what they were or what they believed.
In recent years, I have worked in assisted living for mentally ill, addicted and formerly homeless people. They all had their own flat and help to keep it.
Now I've come full circle. According to the motto "Back to the roots", I have returned to the homeless people. I bring cultural and leisure activities with me. These have been offered by the Caritas Association Frankfurt am Main for three decades. The association and the Franziskustreff Foundation are now deepening their long-standing cooperation. Many homeless and socially disadvantaged people are already familiar with the term "Join in" from Caritas. And it means a lot to them: cycling, climbing, hiking, games mornings, cultural activities and much more. It's about giving life meaning again. To feel yourself. Experiencing yourself differently. In the company of others. And not to think about the problems. The positive feedback we receive from participants shows: "Otherwise I would be even more depressed - the regular programmes give me structure". Or "When I'm alone, I just drink".
I am very pleased that this valuable programme is now also directly available to guests at the Franziskustreff.
In my free time, my favourite thing to do is sit in a dragon boat with my crew. Then I listen to the drum and hope that we win the race.
And for me, breakfast means above all: coffee, coffee, coffee - otherwise my eyes won't open ...
CONTACT
Svetlana Strojan
Social worker
