Social commitment

The gift campaign “Weihnachten im Schuhkarton” (Christmas in a shoe box) has been bringing happiness to needy children for many years. The idea behind it is to purchase Christmas presents for children and to pack them in a shoe box. Donors may chose the age and gender of a child they would like to make a gift to, and fill shoe boxes with everyday and useful items. The packages are sent either to regions where help is needed or directly to facilities that take care of children. Since last year, employees from the Gießen University Hospital have been taking part in the campaign. The campaign was organised by Karin Fischer from the anaesthesia department.

Ms. Fischer, how did you get the idea to take part in the campaign “Christmas in a shoe box”?
I was excited about the idea that it is about much more than the actual monetary value of the donation. What we take for granted every day is something really special for needy children, such as sweets, school books or clothing.

Wo has got involved in your campaign?
Colleagues from the entire company and from all professional groups have participated. The willingness to help was tremendous. Almost 100 packages were put together.

And where did the shoe boxes from Gießen University hospital go?
We decided to make the gifts to those children who have had to flee their homes over the past weeks and months. The donations were therefore presented to the team of the kindergarten of the Hessische Erstaufnahmeeinrichtung für Flüchtlinge (Hesse Initial Registration Facility for Refugees) in Gießen.

For parents it is very often a devastating thing to find out that their child has been diagnosed with cancer. The life that has only just begun is overshadowed by a life-threatening situation, casting the young patients and their families into deep crisis. Not infrequently, the parents feel completely helpless. That is why it is all the more important in such extraordinary situations to take care of the child as well as the parents in a professional manner. Take the association Verein LöwenKinder in Frankfurt (Oder). This social institution is a competence network that cares for children and youth suffering from leukaemia and tumour diseases and their relatives in the region of Frankfurt (Oder). LöwenKinder is also assisted by our Frankfurt hospital. In 2015, a monetary amount was paid to the social institution for every employee attending the gala night of the hospital in December. The donation helps LöwenKinder to fulfil long-cherished wishes of the seriously ill children and youth. “We are very happy and will use the money for a car with a special wheelchair lift”, said Kati Karney, chairwoman of LöwenKinder. “We are pleased to support the association and the families concerned in Frankfurt (Oder)”, said Mirko Papenfuß, the hospital’s managing director. On behalf of all employees, the head of communication and marketing, Kati Brand, and the chairman of the works council Stefan Härtel, together with midwife Vivienne Heck and Sabine Zinke, employee in communication and marketing and is patient representative, presented the association with a cheque for 3,000 euros.