Our Christmas donation is an important tradition that we do not want to break with, even in difficult times. Our focus is always on people whose dramatic circumstances are often unwelcome topics and to whom far too little attention is paid, especially against the backdrop of current events. With our donation of 10,000 euros this year, we would therefore like to support a women's and children's shelter and a children's and youth home in equal parts.
A place of refuge
At the Frauen- und Kinderschutzhaus Kreis Waldshut e. V., very close to our Klettgau branch, women and their children find refuge and safety from domestic violence. For the association's professionals, the needs of the women seeking help are paramount. But the children in the women's shelter also receive very special attention, because many of them experience a time without fear and violence here for the first time in their lives.
With our financial help, the professionals of the association are able to offer a self-help course to the residents of the shelter. Here the women can learn to assert themselves physically and psychologically in the face of others, to set clear boundaries and to step out of their victim role with self-confidence – an important step on their way to a violence-free, self-determined future.
A place called home
Not far from our Brandenburg location is the Trebbiner Kinder- und Jugendheim e. V. – a home for children and young people whose parents, for a variety of reasons, are unable to provide them with a secure and loving environment. The home and its staff enable these children to lead a calm and stable life with structured daily routines, healthy nutrition and individual support. Whether with the help of educational, psychosocial or therapeutic work – here they experience the support, attention and warmth that are so important for growing up.
Tarek Ahmad is one of these children. He fled Syria with his father and, after spending some time in the asylum seekers' home, lived in the orphanage from the age of 14. He has since left the care of the orphanage, lives in his own apartment and is training to become an industrial mechanic at our Trebbin factory. "I'm just incredibly grateful, because without the orphanage I would never have had all these opportunities," Tarek explains.
Thanks to our donation, the everyday life of children like Tarek can be enriched by many positive events. The wish list of the children includes, for example, a visit to the children's revue at the Friedrichstadt-Palast and the scary night at the Filmpark Babelsberg – special experiences that make children's hearts light up and can now be realized with our help.