Generous donation to support “Haus des Lebens”
Carlo Kälble (Head of Human Resources at HYDRO Systems KG), Andrea Bitsch-Doll, Doreen Schwahl, Barbara Huttegger (Managing Direcor of HYDRO Systems KG) at the HYDRO headquarters in Biberach after presenting the donation cheque.
Source: HYDRO Systems KG
Donation cheque for € 3,000 presented by HYDRO Systems KG
Biberach. HYDRO has continued its longstanding tradition to donate the proceeds from the raffle held at the annual summer festival to a charitable cause. “Haus des Lebens” in Offenburg-Rammersweiler, Germany, was selected as the beneficiary of this year’s proceeds in the amount of € 3,000.
The donation cheque was presented to the representatives of Haus des Lebens by HYDRO Managing Director Barbara Huttegger and the company’s Head of Human Resources Carlo Kälble at the HYDRO headquarters in Biberach, Germany. This year's sale of raffle tickets amassed the unprecedented amount of € 3,000. “The raffle prizes were collected over the year and are usually donated by customers or suppliers”, Barabara Huttegger explains. This year’s festival saw a doubling of the price for raffle tickets. But the higher price tag did not deter the company’s employees and their families from collecting funds for a charitable cause.
3,000 Euro are “a lot of money” for Haus des Lebens
Barbara Huttegger says that she came across Haus des Lebens by sheer coincidence. She had already heard about mother-child facilities in other cities and the concept has made a thorough impression on her. The future of children and their families is a cause that is very close to her heart. “3,000 Euro is a lot of money for us”, exclaims Andrea Bitsch-Doll, Head of the Children’s House. The entire funding for the facility is provided by the local child welfare agency, which makes the additional funds even more welcome. The additional resources are earmarked for projects, additional programs or excursions for the facility’s residents and their children.
Around 60 female and one male staff provide dedicated care around the clock for the guests staying at Haus des Lebens. Over the long term, the goal is to allow for the formation of a mother-child bond and to prepare both of them for life outside the facility. “It often is a success story, but not always. Hence we are delighted when we see daily life being successfully mastered together with the child and mothers emerging to provide for their children in a way that allows them to successfully master the future together”, explains Haus des Lebens staff member Doreen Schwahl. The carers are still in contact with many former residents. Of those who have succeeded in getting back on their own two feet, many return at a later stage in their lives and want to give something back in return for the care they were given here. Both of them agree that these moments are the highest form of gratitude for their work.
Shaped by Christian values
Mother-child facilities can be found all across Germany. They were established to offer support to women, whose pregnancy has thrown them into a personal crisis which they find difficult to overcome without help from the outside. Haus des Lebens offers a secure home and environment for pregnant women and mothers who have little or no support from within their own environment and aims at offering them a structured daily life. Haus des Lebens was established in 1991 on the initiative and under management of Sister Frumentia. The work inside Haus des Lebens is strongly shaped by Christan values and human dignity in particular. The facility provides non-discriminatory support for women and families from all ethnic backgrounds and religions.