"We are at the heart of our core mission" – a branch leader's story

"The Mänttä branch does not have separate multicultural activities. This is a deliberate choice: our activity groups are open to everyone, meaning we invite asylum seekers and immigrants to join existing activities. Our volunteer centre is always open and anyone is welcome – we receive everyone with open arms!

Asylum seekers have been involved in our activities in some way since the opening of the Mänttä-Vilppula reception centre in 2012. They have taken elderly people outdoors, shovelled snow, and raked leaves. Through this, they have ended up in other activities as well: for example, those who shovelled snow wanted to participate in a club for people with intellectual disabilities, where they learned things like bingo together. Two asylum seeker women, in turn, came to the branch asking for woollen socks for winter, and when no suitable ones were found, they ended up learning to knit under the guidance of our branch's craft expert. And they learned to knit socks, even including the heels!

One challenge in attracting asylum seekers to activities is that many of them do not stay in the locality for very long. But all kinds of everyday, small things can still be done. Our branch has been proactive towards the reception centre – we have asked what kinds of needs they have, and we have invited reception centre staff to visit our branch. Our first aid group has held training on everyday safety at the centre; topics covered with asylum seekers have included, for example, the emergency number, unconsciousness, and wound bandaging. An evacuation drill is also being planned. Our branch also has its own flea market, which asylum seekers frequently visit."

People have not turned their backs

"Our branch receives daily inquiries about how to donate items and support asylum seekers. People want to help right now. We are soon organising a short course on friend activities as well as a short course called Supporting a Newcomer, because many people specifically want to become a friend to an asylum seeker. Now that a reception centre has also been established in Ruovesi, some of the donated items will be transferred to Ruovesi.

Of course, we also receive negative feedback, but it is often a case of deliberate misunderstanding. I was nervous about this year's Hunger Day collection: I thought that the situation in Finland and the refugee crisis would generate more negative feedback. But I worried for nothing! There were many donors; people have not turned their backs on the Red Cross. It was delightful that a few asylum seekers also came to collect donations, led by their supervisors.

When the reception centre was established in our municipality a couple of years ago, it did not have a great impact on the branch's activities. Now that this situation is growing and continuing, it is already having a greater effect on our activities as well. But I think we all need to remember that right now we are concretely at the heart of our core mission: helping people in distress."

Here are my tips for branches in areas where a reception centre is being established:

• Be open and encounter people as people
• Invite asylum seekers to join existing activities!
• Be proactive in contacting the reception centre and ask what kinds of needs they have
• Invite reception centre staff to visit. For example, we host a monthly meeting for volunteers, to which we also invite reception centre instructors
• Remember that activities with asylum seekers can be very everyday! There is no need to invent anything new.

– Hellevi Ahoniemi, chairperson of the Mänttä branch and first aid group leader

Mänttä-Vilppula Reception Centre

• Moved from Ruovesi to Mänttä partially in autumn 2012 and completely at the beginning of 2013
• 300 places
• A reception centre has now also been opened in Ruovesi

Activities of the Mänttä branch:

• About 25 active volunteers
• First aid group activities: e.g. duty services and training
• Acting as an alert group for the Voluntary Rescue Service
• Friend activities: e.g. home visits to the elderly and taking the elderly outdoors
• A club for people with intellectual disabilities, an elderly club, a Reddie Kids club
• No separate multicultural activities, but asylum seekers are welcome to join all activities
• Asylum seekers have participated in clubs, raked leaves, shovelled snow, etc.
• Upcoming events include a short course on friend activities and a short course on Supporting a Newcomer (Tulijan tukena)