In 2002, the German Child Protection Foundation Hänsel+Gretel launched the Emergency Island Project, an initiative to provide children with a place to go in their city, community and neighbourhood in emergency and dangerous situations, as well as for minor everyday problems. There are now a large number of so-called emergency islands for children in many places throughout Germany. Emergency islands can be shops, doctors' surgeries, pharmacies, kiosks and many more places where adults want to help children. The municipal children's festival on 15 September will be the official starting signal for the registration of emergency islands in Rodgau. Jennifer Jäger from the Agency for Economic Development and City Marketing is in charge of the project. Thanks to good and intensive contact with local businesses, the first emergency islands have already been found before the official launch. From Jügesheim, the companies Elektro Fischer, Das Teehaus and the Haller organic food shop are participating. In Nieder-Roden, Sonnenkäfer and DHC Media have agreed to participate. From Dudenhofen, the Pauly-von-Buttlar pharmacy in the Rewe Centre is on board. The Schäfer bakery is also involved with all four Rodgau branches as well as the municipal facilities Bürgerservice im Rathaus, customer service at Stadtwerke and the municipal libraries in Jügesheim and Nieder-Roden. The project is currently under construction. In the coming weeks, it will gradually be expanded and become more widely known in the city. The project will also be gradually introduced to those responsible at schools and kindergartens by the end of the year. Participation in the project is free of charge for the "emergency islands". Interested shops, doctors' surgeries, pharmacies etc. can contact notinsel@rodgau.de directly by email or visit the town's website at rodgau.de/notinsel to find out what they need to do. The initiators are looking forward to broad participation. The first emergency islands will start at the locations from 1 October. Parents will then also be asked to inform their children about the project. General information on the supra-regional project can also be found at www.notinsel.de.
