The money raised with our creative Christmas fundraiser goes to the Children's Hospice Sterntaler in Dudenhofen near Speyer
Weilerbach, 11 January 2022 It's well known that games are fun. And now our colleagues, customers, and partners have witnessed that games spread the joy to others, too. As part of our Christmas fundraiser, we asked them to solve a virtual slider puzzle. The participation was fun and more than worth it, as we donated 2 euros to the Children's Hospice Sterntaler e.V. in Dudenhofen near Speyer for every completed puzzle. In the end, we were able to raise a rounded total of 5,000 euros.
Our Chief Financial Officer Patrick Klein set out to deliver the check in person and to find out more about the institution and their charitable work during a conversation with Beate Däuwel, donation commissioner for Sterntaler.
We also had some questions for Beate Däuwel.
- Ms Däuwel, your institution supports terminally ill children and their families. Along with outpatient pediatric nursing & intensive care, you also offer inpatient stays. This not only involves medical care but most importantly also therapeutic treatment. Can you give us some examples?
We provide individual assistance since every child and every family has their own needs. Everyone has their own preferences. In general, we offer Shiatsu, aroma therapy and physical therapy, and we also make use of animal-assisted education with specially trained therapy animals. Our agenda regularly features hospital clowns, excursions and joint leisure activities, and our amazing Yvonne Betz holds weekly music sessions with our children. And the offer extends to the entire family, meaning also to the parents and siblings that are temporarily accommodated along with the ill children. Furthermore, we offer grief counseling to support the relatives after their heavy loss, which is a very important and difficult phase.
Many of them continue to participate in the family afternoons and various events long after their heavy loss to exchange their experience with others that share their fate or still have the most difficult way ahead of them.
„Our house is a green oasis, a place of joy, encounters and most of all life, a place of both tears and laughter.“
Beate Däuwel, donation commissioner for Sterntaler
- How would you describe the institution? What is the central idea behind it?
Our house is a green oasis, a place of joy, encounters and most of all life, a place of both tears and laughter. And yes, we do laugh a lot, which is very important.
Families, their terminally ill children and their healthy siblings get the chance to meet others that share their fate, exchange experiences and establish private contacts. They feel connected and support each other. It's all about seeing and feeling that they're not alone, and also about gathering strength. We've made it our mission to make the remaining time as pleasant and fulfilled as possible for everyone. - Covid has surely also stirred up your working life and all the activities, hasn't it?
Of course, the coronavirus has limited our possibilities in many ways. The contact restrictions have complicated our activities and limited the mutual exchange, for example in the common rooms. Unfortunately, many fundraising events by our supporters could not take place either. However, we always managed to fulfill our most important mission. It was still possible to bid farewell to the children that went on their journey during that time.
- Speaking of donations: They are extremely important in order for you to uphold your institution and the comprehensive services. Are you also supported by volunteers?
We have a lot of employees on a voluntary basis. They're indispensable as they contribute to the daily work, help with the care, always have a ready ear and talk to the parents. And sometimes you just need somebody to listen. At the same time, they help us take care of the siblings. They are invaluable.
And yes, just like every inpatient children's hospice in Germany, we completely rely on donations. The daily rates only apply to the ill child and don't cover the costs incurred by maintenance, therapies, and the accommodation of the families.
