17.12.2024
NETZSCH Employees Make Children’s Eyes Sparkle at Christmas
Children and young people worldwide look forward to Christmas all year round and can hardly wait to unwrap their gifts. Unfortunately, not everyone is on the bright side of life and can look forward to presents on Christmas Eve. Therefore, NETZSCH Pumps & Systems employees fulfilled the Christmas wishes of more than 150 traumatised children and young people from the region, lighting their eyes up.
Once again, this year, a wishing tree was set up in Café & Restaurant FELIX on the NETZSCH Campus in Waldkraiburg in collaboration with the local charity organisation Suibamoond e.V. from Burghausen (Bavaria).
Christmas presents for traumatised children and young people
The Christmas tree, decorated with fairy lights and baubles, was full of children's and young people's wishes cared for by the association. The NETZSCH employees were able to select a wish and purchase a gift. The gifts were then collected in the company and presented by Andreas Denker, CEO, and Jens Heidkötter, CFO, on behalf of all employees. Alfons Hasenknopf, the association's first chairman, and a few children were also attending the handover in the company restaurant.
“We are incredibly grateful for NETZSCH's commitment. With the wishing tree campaign, they give our children and young people gifts and the feeling of being seen and valued. Especially for children and young people who have been through difficult times, such moments of happiness are invaluable. It is touching to see how much heart and soul has been put into this campaign”, said the chairman. Suibamoond looks after children who have been victims of physical, mental or sexual violence. The association's members include experts from advice centres and organisations looking after children's and young people's welfare, mainly in the districts of Burghausen, Mühldorf and Altötting.
Support in dealing with traumatic experiences
Children who experience violence and abuse need professional support and help in coping with and processing their traumatic experiences. At the same time, however, offering them an everyday life is essential. This is where NETZSCH comes in with its wishing tree. Everyone, from toddlers to young adults, was allowed to hand in their star. The wishes ranged from a toy car for toddlers to sports shoes, a room planetarium, or a smartwatch for teenagers – and the best thing was that NETZSCH employees fulfilled all wishes.
Eleven-year-old Samira, for example, was looking for the game “Who is It”. “Knowing to put a smile on a child's face with this gift makes me very happy”, said Kathrin Steinböck, Application Engineer, who fulfilled Samira’s wish. Sebastian Schalk, Technical Service, also picked a wish from the tree: “It's frightening to see how many children, even here in our region, experience terrible things day by day. Therefore, bringing the only one-year-old Eliah a little joy at Christmas with a construction site and vehicles from Lego Duplo is very special to me.”
Now, the gifts must be given to the children and young people so they are under the Christmas tree in time. The volunteer members of Suibamoond will take care of that in the next few days before Christmas. Hopefully, 150 additional children and young people will have bright eyes at the festival of love this year.
