From Germany With Love

Christiane Schrabback is a teacher and principal at the Maxvon-Laue Integrated Secondary School for 7^th through 11^th graders in Berlin, Germany. For the past six years, she has visited the PHC OB department twice yearly and donated hand-made baby caps for our newborns.

So what’s the connection? Nearly 20 years ago, Christiane was asked if she would like to host an American teacher for ten days during an international meeting near Berlin. In return, she was allowed to participate in the meeting, and it was during this event that she met a local Farmington High School teacher who was attending the meeting. She and the teacher have stayed in touch all these years, and Christiane’s connection with Farmington High School eventually expanded across the street to Parkland Health Center’s OB department.

Christiane’s passion is kids, and her charitable creations have literally crossed the globe. “My hats can be found all over the world in hospitals or orphanages, for example, in Chile, Peru, South Africa, St. Lucia, England and the Philippines,” she says.

Christiane also brings hundreds of baby hats and blankets to the St. Louis Crisis Nursery twice a year.

When newborn babies receive their colorful crocheted gifts from Christiane, they have unruly German teens to thank. “Being a teacher of teenagers is very stressful, but knitting relaxes me,” she says.

Christiane says that most of the yarn is donated by parents of students at her school. To help raise money for her ongoing efforts, Christiane and a friend crochet and sell bookmarks. Those funds are then used to buy needed items such as clothing for the children at the crisis nursery. “These kids have nothing!” she says.

Pictured from left to right are: Caroline Schrabback, daughter of Christiane; Christiane Schrabback; new mom, Jennifer Merrell; newborn baby Noah; and proud dad, Jonathan Gettinger.