Umicore donates over 23,000 euros to nonprofit organizations in Hanau

The materials technology and recycling group Umicore continues its long-term and regional support of charitable initiatives and presented this year’s Christmas donation to four Hanau-based organizations at a joint donation ceremony. The Albert Schweitzer Children’s Village in Hanau, the Friends and Supporters of Lamboy-Tümpelgarten, Sterntaler, and the Lions Club Hanau Schloss Philippsruhe received donations totaling 23,800 euros. This year, as in previous years, a portion of the donations was collected by Umicore employees themselves as part of a virtually organized, in-house Christmas market. The donation handover took place in compliance with current hygiene and health measures..

“For many years, we have been delighted to support the work of these initiatives. Thanks to them, we are able to help many people in the region who are in need of assistance,” says Dr. Bernhard Fuchs, CEO of Umicore AG & Co. KG. “Together, we can make a difference, and with this donation, we know that our support is going where it is most needed in the region.”

Support for Families in the Region

Traditionally, a large portion of Umicore’s donation—10,000 euros—goes to the Albert Schweitzer Children’s Village in Hanau (ASK) to support multi-family therapy (MFT). Katja Eisert, Director of the Family-Oriented Division at ASK Hanau, and Susanne Högler, Head of Public Relations & Sponsorship at ASK Hanau, expressed their heartfelt thanks for the renewed donation and were delighted to have Umicore as a reliable partner at ASK’s side for many years. “Through its long-standing support, Umicore has made a significant contribution to establishing multi-family therapy as a core therapeutic approach at ASK Hanau. We will use this year’s donation to further expand our services, enabling even more families in the region to break free from social isolation and thereby ensuring their children have a safe living environment in their own homes,” says Susanne Högler.

Mobile Intensive Care Unit for Young Patients

Umicore also supports the Sterntaler Hanau association, which has been supporting the pediatric clinic in Hanau since 1991 and, through its efforts, makes the stay at Hanau Hospital as pleasant as possible for many children and their families. This year, the association is using the donation of over 6,000 euros to purchase a new transport incubator for the neonatal intensive care unit. “We need one of these to safely pick up the little patients and also, at times, to transfer children to hospitals for further treatment,” explains Christina Sünder-Kuehn, Vice Chair of Sterntaler e.V. “We currently have two of these ambulance-compatible models, but one of them is getting on in years. Since this is essentially a small mobile intensive care unit, we’re looking at a price range comparable to that of a high-end sports car, so we’re very pleased that Umicore is willing to help us here, as it so often does.”

Targeted Assistance in the Lamboy-Tümpelgarten Neighborhood

The Friends and Supporters of Lamboy-Tümpelgarten association has made it its mission to provide targeted assistance to people in the neighborhood who are facing difficult life situations, especially during the Christmas season. For younger residents, this is mostly done through daycare centers and schools. The association reaches older residents in senior living facilities and neighborhood offices, where many of them have sought advice throughout the year. This year’s Umicore donation of 6,300 euros will primarily go toward daily necessities. “Just as we did in the first year of the pandemic, thanks to Umicore’s outstanding donation and the support of the Community Foundation, we can provide assistance to many families and children in the neighborhood, as well as single people and elderly couples, for their Christmas shopping and other urgent purchases. The wish lists include warm clothing, linens, winter bedding, boots, wool blankets, groceries, and even some Christmas treats,” says Anne-Dorothea Stübing, executive chair of the Friends and Supporters of Lamboy-Tümpelgarten.

Making the world a little better, one small step at a time

The commitment of the Lions Club Hanau Schloss Philippsruhe has continued to grow since its founding in 2001. The foundation of this work is generating financial resources that are used wherever hardship can be alleviated. “That’s why we’ll be using this year’s Christmas donation of 1,500 euros, which we received from Umicore, to support palliative patient care,” explains Sabine Krempel of the Lions Club Hanau Schloss Philippsruhe.

^{©Umicore. f.l.t.r.: Jürgen Scheuermann, former principal of the Karl-Rehbein-Schule Hanau (KRS), Sabine Krempel, Lions Club Hanau Schloss Philippsruhe, Dr. Bernhard Fuchs, Umicore AG & Co. KG, Christina Sünder-Kuehn, Vice Chair of Sterntaler e.V., Anne-Dorothea Stübing, Friends and Supporters of Lamboy-Tümpelgarten, Susanne Högler, Head of Public Relations & Sponsorship at ASK Hessen e.V. Hanau and Wetzlar}