Trainees organise Easter nests for the Ulm Tafel food bank

Social commitment in training at Mayser

Social commitment has been an essential part of training at Mayser for years. In concrete terms, the young professionals spend a week during their training at a local institution, meet new people with different stories, gain valuable insights and expand their social skills. 

Since this year, the trainees have had another opportunity to get involved through their cooperation with the Ulm Tafel food bank. Here, they not only help with the daily chores, but now also organised a special campaign: for the approaching Easter, they collected donations and packed Easter nests for the children of the Tafel customers, containing, for example, painting accessories, games, books and sweets. "There are also many people living here locally who urgently need support," Tamara Hötzel, a second-year apprentice at Mayser, explains the background to the campaign. "Due to the current influx of refugees and the current price development, the number of Tafel customers is rising sharply at the moment. With the nests, we want to make a contribution here in Ulm and bring joy to children who might otherwise not have received an Easter nest."

Help that gets there

„The Ulm Tafel food bank impressed us during the initial talks as a very open-minded and committed cooperation partner. Our support goes directly to where it is needed and we can actively support families in Ulm," says Julia Sorrentino, who completed her training as an industrial clerk at Mayser at the beginning of the year. The idea for the Easter nests came about during visits with the head of the food bank, Raza Dzanic, based on the principle of Christmas in a shoebox. "The support of a locally based company like Mayser means a lot to us. This not only pleases us at the Ulm Tafel food bank, but above all the many people who regularly come to us and rely on us," says Dzanic. 

After the campaign was announced at Mayser, many employees took part in the Easter campaign and helped fill the nests with donations in kind and money. In the end, the management of the traditional Ulm-based company increased the monetary donations to 1,000 euros. Thus, in addition to the already existing donations in kind, painting and toys could be purchased, packed into attractive Easter nests and handed over to the Tafel. The two young women were also able to take part in what was probably the most beautiful moment of the campaign, the handing over of the presents to the children ot the Tafel customers, on behalf of the Ulm trainees. 

An exciting project that inspires the trainees

With the Easter Nest campaign, the Mayser trainees not ony had the opportunity to plan and implement an extensive campaign, but also to gain an insight into the work of the Tafel. This includes aspects such as financing, collecting donations, but also the situation of the people who come to the food bank to shop. By working together, the trainees can make an active contribution and see that the help goes directly to the people who need it. "In addition to our commitment to the region, it is important to us as a training company not only to provide our trainees with extensive specialist knowledge, but also to support them in their personal development. The social project offers them this opportunity," says Winfried Wanka, Head of HR and Operations at Mayser, summarising the background to the cooperation.

More demand, less donations

The situation of the food banks in the region is becoming increasingly tense at the moment. Several factors play a role here. Rising energy and food prices are putting a strain on the food banks, as are the lack of food donations, high levels of sick leave among staff due to Corona, and the increasing number of new clients. There are two reasons for the increase in the number of people to be fed. On the one hand, many people are suffering from the current price increases for food, and on the other hand, more people, mainly women and children, are arriving here every day from the Ukrainian war zone. These people also urgently need to be provided for. But the war also has other effects here. It has reduced the number of donations in kind to the Tafel, as these now often go directly to Ukraine or to the Polish border. This is one more reason to support the Tafel in its valuable work.

Increased cooperation also planned for the future

This year, the first trainees of the Mayser company will start their one-week internship at the Tafel and will continue this in the coming years. In this way, both sides can benefit from the cooperation in the long term.