With heart and soul

People in need - the Wärmestube SKM-Augsburg e.V. helps once more

More and more needy people are turning up in front of Augsburg's Wärmestube. On the one hand, there are homeless and homeless people or needy fellow citizens who are supplied with food and groceries from there with great commitment. In addition, refugee Ukrainian women and their children have joined them in recent months. The sponsoring association has worked hard to procure and make available sufficient food on a larger scale. Mrs. Ulla Schmid and Mr. Hans Stecker (members of the board of the Wärmestube) have put a lot of energy into numerous phone calls to organize the goods. Several difficulties and hurdles had to be overcome in order to fulfill the plan. When everything was settled, Mr. Manfred Schönfelder, senior manager of the Gesa Hygiene Group and 2nd chairman of the Wärmestube - offered to temporarily provide a storage area for the more than 20 tons of food. The goods were delivered to the headquarters of the Gesa Hygiene Group in Gubener Straße 32 in Augsburg-Oberhausen and stored there until they were picked up by the Wärmestube. Tinned vegetables, milk, Kaba, coffee, pasta, rice, sauces and soups, small sweets, cookies and chocolate for children, sausages in jars, cheese spreads, tinned fish and long-life bread. Everything together had a value of proudly approx. 32000 euro! The goods were paid for by the Wärmestube from donations.

Before handing out the goods to the needy people, a large packing operation was organized, in which numerous volunteers were involved, including four women from Ukraine. The food was sensibly divided into weekly rations and packed into bags. After checking and authorization of the social workers, the bags could then be distributed accordingly. A big thank you to all involved donors and energetic helpers!

External Link: SKM Wärmestube

Image source: Mrs. Ulla Schmid (Wärmestube)

Gesec donates Fullback to the DLRG

The German Life Saving Association DLRG is the world's largest water rescue organization! The 1.7 million members and supporters of the DLRG are only one reason among many. The DLRG was founded in Leipzig in 1913 to save people from drowning. Its volunteer members put in about six million hours a year. This corresponds to over 684 years of voluntary work!

Our owner Mr. Jörg Schönfelder decided to support this great work also in the name of the Gesa Hygiene Group and sponsored our Fiat Fullback from the Gesec fleet in December 2021. In the meantime, the vehicle has been appropriately provided with its yellow-red vehicle livery by the DLRG and will soon receive all the necessary operational utensils.

With this donation, the DLRG can replace its 30-year-old jeep and send its forces safely into future missions. We are pleased to be able to contribute in this way a part to the rescue missions with our donation! 

External Link: DLRG

Picture from left: Mr. Darius (DLRG) and Mr. Schönfelder (Gesa Hygiene Group)
Image source: DLRG

Empower Land - Gesa supports little heroes!

The Gesa Hygiene Group has decided to support this wonderful project financially. So we have now become official "hero supporters" - with certificate! We are very happy about that :-) But first here is the story - from the very beginning....

The genesis

Since all entertainment shows in 2020 and the first half of 2021 have been cancelled, the idea of something new arose in "Phil" - the magician - who until then lived from performances and shows. During the challenging time, a little boy approached Phil and told him with shining eyes that he too wanted to become a magician. He kept asking Phil, "How did you do that? How did you become a real magician?". This encounter made Phil think about his path, about what he did to turn his passion into a profession, to follow his dreams and not give up on the way. The path has not been easy. Phil has experienced what it feels like to be rejected, laughed at, faced with many challenges and setbacks - experiences for which there is no instant solution. Dealing with these experiences is not taught in school. You have to learn how to deal with them on your own.

With the help of books, videos and mentors, Phil began to regularly work on his inner strength, his belief in himself and his stamina. These things are ultimately responsible for where Phil currently finds himself. And aren't they also the foundations of personal success, skills and abilities of (self-)leadership, self-criticism and constant learning? Together with his girlfriend, Phil set out to find traits we wish we had learned in childhood, ones that matter when you enter the adult world. And the next step was to ask how this can be made available to the young people in our society, so that they too can realize their dreams and live a life on their own terms. In addition, the new generation is confronted with things that we didn't have to deal with as children: the pressure of social media and the constant comparison with others. This is how the idea of EmpowerLand was born.

The project

EmpowerLand is a non-profit association for the promotion of children and young people. In a varied, week-long program, children immerse themselves in a new adventure every day. Through exciting games, sports activities and spectacular shows, the children develop important skills needed to face the challenges of today's world.

To this end, the team, together with various experts, educators and over 20 cooperation partners, has developed the EmpowerLand program, which gives children the necessary tools to believe in themselves and overcome obstacles in any social, family and personal situation with a positive and courageous attitude!

With its donation, Gesa Hygiene Group has covered the cost of two children's participation in the program.

We wish the EmpowerLand team all the best and much success!

External Link: EmpowerLand

Manfred Schönfelder - Wärmestube-SKM Augsburg e.V.

Manfred Schönfelder, founder of Gesa Hygiene-Gruppe, is the deputy chairman of the Wärmestube SKM-Augsburg e.V. sponsor association founded in 2012 which supports the katholischen Verband für Soziale Dienste e.V. - SKM Augsburg (Catholic Association for Social Services).

"Through my voluntary commitment, I want to help local people directly. After all, even in wealthy Germany there is poverty and people who cannot survive on their own. Through the association I can help personally and directly and that's really important to me."

The day shelter helps those in need and the homeless regardless of their religious affiliation, origin or appearance and without asking "why". It supplies everyday items but also tries to be a place where people are accepted without judgement and can feel safe.

The sponsor association supports the day shelter with selected projects because the public subsidies and church grants have long since been insufficient. Some examples of what is being planned or has already been implemented:

• Bus purchased for outreach work, medical care and to offer emergency assistance in the cold on harsh winter days
• Financial support for the foundation of a homeless choir
• Sponsorship for graves and grave maintenance
• Products/food for the day shelter
• Wood briquettes for people who need them
• Purchase of the SKM building to safeguard the day shelter

Loneliness is particularly acute at Christmas. That is why the day shelter organises a Christmas party for the homeless complete with Christmas dinner and small gifts and the city Christmas for people in need at the Kolpingsaal event hall. The sponsor association organises the sponsors needed for this.

If you would like to find out more about the work of the Fördervereins Wärmestube SKM-Augsburg e.V. or support the association, please visit the website:

External Link: http://www.foerderverein-waermestube-skm-augsburg.de/

Foundation "Obdach für Mensch und Tier"

New foundation supports homeless people

Karl F*. (*name changed by the editorial staff), 53 years old, lives on the street, his family and friends have long since turned their backs on him. Every day he fights on the streets of Augsburg for the simplest things of daily life. He is not alone in this.

In Augsburg, around 300 homeless people are currently being cared for in municipal facilities. The actual number of people without homes is likely to be much higher. People like Karl F. often get into an emergency situation through no fault of their own, suffer severe psychological and also physical wounds.

Manfred Schönfelder, 2nd chairman of the Förderverein Wärmestube-SKM Augsburg e.V. and founder of the Gesa Hygiene Group, looks where others look away. He stands up for those who can no longer look after themselves. At some point he felt that volunteering alone was not enough. That is why he set up the foundation "Obdach für Mensch und Tier" (Shelter for People and Animals) under the umbrella of the Stiftergemeinschaft HAUS DER STIFTER of the Stadtsparkasse Augsburg. In this way he wants to support people who are not on the sunny side of life. Due to his intensive and long-time experience in the warmth room he knows the topics homelessness and poverty very well.

"Help us to help homeless people build a bridge that will lead to a life in dignity without poverty, exclusion and for a daily warm meal", is the great concern of the founder Manfred Schönfelder. Therefore, the foundation supports the Förderverein Wärmestube-SKM Augsburg e.V. The help of the Wärmestube is manifold: It ranges from the maintenance of homeless graves, Christmas parties, cold and warm buses to personal accompaniment and above all to an open ear and a warm and dry place. All activities are performed on a voluntary basis without remuneration or reimbursement of costs. Most activities cannot be financed without donations.

Donation account:
HAUS DER STIFTER - Donors' Association of the Augsburg Municipal Savings Bank
IBAN: EN03 7205 0000 0000 0781 21
Intended use: shelter for people and animals

For further information on the "Foundation Shelter for People and Animals" or on the HOUSE OF THE FOUNDERS' FOUNDATION of the Stadtsparkasse Augsburg, please contact Susanne Stippler, foundation advisor, telephone: 0821 3255-2050, e-mail: susanne.stippler@sska.de

Förderverein Wärmestube im Haus der Stifter

A pleasant occasion for the Wärmestube e.V. association was the annual event "Stifter, Spender und zukünftige Spender" in September 2018 of the Stadtsparkasse Augsburg. Because from a subfoundation in HAUS DER STIFTER - unknown to him - a nice amount was donated to the Wärmestube. Both board members, Aadrian Hendrikx and Manfred Schönfelder, as well as board member Hans Stecker, symbolically accepted the money bag at the event. The actual amount has now been transferred to the account of the association. The association Wärmestube e.V. used this opportunity to present its concept and its social activities to the representatives of the supporting institutions and the beneficiary institutions as well as to the board of trustees.

If you would like to know more about the work of the Wärmestube SKM-Augsburg e.V. or would like to support the association, please visit the website:

External Link:  http://www.foerderverein-waermestube-skm-augsburg.de/

Ali Vaezi - Friedensdorf International

Ali Vaezi is a team leader at Gesec Hygiene + Instandhaltung in Düsseldorf. He and his wife, Nadine, help the Oberhausen Peace Village with generous donations of clothing and toys. Ali Vaezi also volunteers his services as an interpreter for Afghan children and Nadine Vaezi provides medical first aid to the children.

"Within the Peace Village, you can see first hand what the donations and money are being used for. It's great to see how happy and well-adjusted the kids are. And also sad, after all, the main thing is that there are no bombs, missiles or gunshots to be heard here."

Lending a helping hand to the weakest, a cornerstone of humanity.

The Peace Village was founded by the citizens of Oberhausen in 1967. Today, Friedensdorf International flies over 1000 sick and injured children to Germany each year from areas affected by war or crisis because there is no chance of being cured in their home country whereas treatment in Europe is promising.

The children are operated on free of charge and are taken to the Peace Village after their hospital treatment for rehabilitation. Wounds are treated, the children learn how to walk or grasp an object with prostheses and how to use medicinal products. Moreover, they learn how to play without being forced and without fear, a completely new experience. Their bodies and minds recover and then they are returned home to their families.

Apart from this case work, the Peace Village also provides project support in the childrens' home countries. Aid supplies, from walking aids, medical equipment and medicines to clothing are distributed to the projects and partner organisations all over the world. The long-term goal is to provide children with medical care on site and near their families.

Charitable organisations are one of the most important sources for the Peace Village, in particular the collection and recycling of second-hand clothing. The majority of the clothes collected are used in the Peace Village directly, some are sold in second-hand stores for the benefit of the Peace Village and others are prepared for the international project work.

"Anyone wishing to donate clothing should be aware that there are containers in the Peace Village. That way, you can be sure that the aid is going where it is needed", says Ali Vaezi.

The Peace Village is non-partisan, independent and non-denominational. Apart from a few exceptions in the project work, the Peace Village finances all aid interventions and missions with donations and member contributions only and is run for the most part by volunteer staff.

Find out more about the Oberhausen Peace Village here:

External Link https://friedensdorf.de/.

Jörg Schönfelder - Race 4 Friends e.V.

Jörg Schönfelder, owner of Gesa Hygiene-Gruppe, steps on the gas for his social commitment. In addition to financial contributions, he also actively supports the Race 4 Friends every year as a driver

"If we are being honest, motor sport doesn't have the best image. At Race 4 Friends we give people with physical and mental limitations the opportunity to experience a few circuits on the race track at race speed in a real racing car. I love seeing the joy our passengers get from these circuits, forgetting everything around them and immersing themselves fully in the racing experience."

The first Race 4 Friends was held by the association of the same name in 2009. In 2017, over 700 guests were able to take a tour of the legendary racetrack in the Eifel region in various racing vehicles and that trend is growing.

Through these rides, the organisers and drivers wanted to offer people an experience that would not otherwise be possible due to their physical or mental limitations or would cost a small fortune with a commercial provider.

In addition to the annual race, various social institutions are supported across Germany every year with the remaining donations.

Find out more about the Race 4 Friends here:

External Link: www.race4friends.de

Tobias Sommer - Tiershelter Zadar (Kroatien)

Gesa Hygiene-Gruppe has had connections with Croatia for a long time. Many of our service technicians and some managers have their family roots in this delightful Balkan country. Tobias Sommer, Area Manager Digital Monitoring Gemex Hygiene + Vorratsschutz has a very special connection to Croatia however.

After what is soon to be more than 22 years, Mr Sommer and his wife have learned to love the Adriatic country and could almost call it their second home. It therefore seemed natural to the two dog lovers to support an association working for animal rights and animal welfare as volunteers in both of their homes – enter Vox Animalis e.V.

Tobias Sommer supports the project by donating numerous items but also contributes with his technical and professional know-how. Thus, for example, during his visit to the animal shelter in Zadar, he also helped keep the grounds and buildings pest free.

And, as early as March 2018, Mr Sommer will be embarking on another trip to Zadar. In addition to his pest management equipment, his luggage will also contain numerous things for the cats and dogs in Zadar. Dog food, puppy milk, puppy food, blankets, collars, leads, disposable gloves, medicines and disinfectants, etc.
We would like to take this opportunity to support Mr Sommer in his dedicated service. Since there is a shortage of virtually everything on site, donations such as dog food, puppy milk, puppy food, blankets, collars, leads, disposable gloves, medicines and disinfectants, etc. can be handed in to the German headquarters of Gesa Hygiene-Gruppe.