Christmas in a shoebox

Redaktion der iMAGE August 6, 2021 People 265 Views

Social commitment

Christmas in a shoebox

The Christmas in a shoebox charitable initiative started by Evangeliums Christen Gemeinde Hannover e.V. (ECG Hannover for short) is held every year at Christmas. For 15 years, as part of the world‘s largest gift-giving campaign, needy children and orphans living in Ukraine and in other countries have received gifts of donated school supplies, toys, clothing and sweets.

In many countries, including Ukraine, unemployment caused by war is very common. Many children suffer from poverty and some have lost their parents. To give these children back some of the magic of Christmas, the company group nass magnet is active in providing humanitarian help on the ground.

There is a reason that the initiative is named „Christmas in a shoebox“ — the gifts, packed in shoeboxes, are predominately donated by members of ECG Hannover, but the active participation by nass magnet employees is also crucial. During the 2018 gift campaign alone, approximately 170 shoeboxes full of gifts valued at around €5100 were collected at the Hanover branch. That is almost twenty packages more than the preceding year.

The gifts gathered in shoeboxes are shipped directly to Ukraine by ECG Hannover or helpers in the nass magnet corporate group. Process developer and long-time sales partner Jakob Dückmann accompanied the 20-ton lorry for almost 26 hours on one of these trips in order to bring the gifts to children in need. „It is exhausting, but it is good to be able to help those in need. The travel and border crossings are always major ordeals (…) every once in a while you reach your limit“, says Jakob Dückmann in an interview with iMAGE.

Once they have arrived, the donations are distributed to the children by local personnel and volunteers. Up to 50 girls and boys aged 2 to 14 are housed in the local children‘s homes. Families who have taken children into their homes are also helped by this campaign.

In addition to „Christmas in a shoebox“, which primarily takes place in Ukraine and only at Christmas time, the humanitarian trips also take place at several other times in the year. For these, too, voluntary donations are collected, gift wrapped and transported to by lorry to regions that need them, such as Romania and Moldova. Thus, children’s homes as well as old people‘s homes and hospitals receive support up to five times per year. This is only possible due to ECG Hannover‘s significant willingness to donate and the socially engaged personnel at nass magnet, as well as their families, friends and acquaintances.

These campaigns are more than just a social responsibility campaign for the company group — they are a heartfelt passion. After all, this humanitarian aid helps people and makes children happy. „Unfortunately, not everyone has life as easy as we do. The joy these children experience is indescribable“, Dückmann continues.

Participation in nass magnet relief efforts is always voluntary. All employees have the opportunity to participate at any time, to whatever extent they choose themselves. Anybody who would like to take a look for themselves or see what happens with the donations can always find up-to-date pictures in the shared folder.