Eat.
Even if your own worries have probably not diminished: The willingness to donate in Essen – especially for the Ukraine – does not stop.
What a year – with war on the doorstep and Corona in the families, with catastrophes, crises and the threat of avalanches in costs. And in between the question that Erich Kästner once put in rhyme and that is also burning on the soul of many Esseners: Where is the positive? How about this: The willingness of the citizens of this city to donate is unbroken, yes, even higher than ever: millions and millions came together in 2022 to do good. In times of need, it seems, despite inflation, job and energy worries, a helping hand is never far away.
This can be seen, for example, in the “Spatzennest” gymnasium in Altenessen: Since Thursday afternoon, around 350 lovingly wrapped gifts have been stacked up here for the Essen children housed in the two emergency rooms who were neglected, abused or beaten at home and are therefore no longer with their families could stay. For what is now the 16th time, the NRZ city editorial team started this Christmas campaign together with the child protection agency, which also raised more than 29,000 euros.
Aid to war-torn Ukraine outshone everything else this year
And this despite the fact that the aid for war-torn Ukraine outshined everything else this year: from trucks full of sleeping bags and sleeping mats to medical equipment and baby food, from clothing to emergency generators to entire vehicles – a steady maelstrom of aid goes under the blue and yellow flag eastbound since February 24.
And they all helped as best they could: companies sold pallets of goods, schools organized concerts and charity runs, sent tens of thousands of euros or financed a playground for the refugee children housed there, as at the Schuir monastery. Head of Social Affairs Peter Renzel is both proud and touched by the uninterrupted help. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in privately organized relief efforts or channeled by the city for the Ukrainian city of Rivne, with which Essen has recently been linked by a solidarity partnership.
“Many people invest time, effort and commitment – it is just as valuable”
In the end, no one counted how much money was raised from all these campaigns, what the value of the donated goods was, but “it’s not just about money,” emphasizes Renzel: “Many people invest time, effort and commitment – a voluntary one Commitment that I find just as valuable.” And not to forget: Of the around 7,300 people who have come to Essen since the outbreak of war, more than 4,000 have found private accommodation at first. No long questions, no ifs and buts. The motto throughout the city was to help.
Like after the devastating fire on Bargmannstrasse in the university district, in which no one was seriously injured, but the rescued residents were literally left with nothing in view of their mostly completely burned-out homes. From a total of 3,700 donors, more than 750,000 euros in donations were received, “incredible” marvels Renzel.
Donation platform “I do” in Essen: Between animal panels, mourners and dance theater
He is convinced that this active solidarity not only strengthens the sense of unity in the city, but also strengthens democracy. Where help is needed, there are people who will help – well organized, for example, via the “I do” website, which comes up with a whole bunch of Essen projects: campaigns for the homeless and refugees, for children and those in mourning, in sports, medicine or the culture.
Anyone who wants can sponsor a lunch menu for socially disadvantaged children or help build a new roof for Essen’s women’s shelter, can finance handicraft materials for children with cancer, heavy-duty shelves for an animal feed store for the Essen animal board or a free flight in a motor glider for people with a special fate. The projects are manageable in size, and “filling levels” show how far a project is financed: the 400 euros for a balcony concert for homes for the elderly and disabled have already been raised thanks to 14 donors, for example, the 20,000 euros inclusive dance theater ensemble Freischwimmer, on the other hand, has not yet found a sponsor.
Do not play off local donations against international initiatives
The large number of projects helps to pursue one’s own donation preferences, there is competition, yes, but no resentment. And no playing off local donations against international initiatives. In the case of the Episcopal Campaign Adveniat, based in Essen, which collects money for the church in Latin America, a dramatic drop in donations was simply due to the fact that significantly fewer church services took place in Corona times.
However, these collections form a significant part of the income: in the Adveniat financial year 2020/2021 it was almost 214,000 euros in the diocese of Essen. In addition, there were a good 720,000 euros in individual donations, so a total of around 934,000 euros with a total result of more than 28 million euros nationwide.
Being able to fulfill a terminally ill boy’s last wish
Elsewhere, too, the willingness to donate exceeds (city) limits: a total of 3.5 million euros in donations was registered by the “Balance of Helping” at the University Medicine Foundation, whose spectrum ranges from clinic clowns to medical training to music therapy and medical aid transports for the Ukraine enough. More than 5,500 households reached into their pockets for the foundation’s projects for the first time this year, and 2,000 households donate regularly.
Numbers that the police foundation “David + Goliath” naturally cannot keep up with. This year, however, EUR 136,000 was donated to children in need. Among them a terminally ill boy whose last wish before his death was allowed to fly over the Alps in a helicopter: What a shining gift in dark times.
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