February 23 is the International Day of Assistance to People in Need. Our plants around the world also contribute to helping people in need through various campaigns.
Dallas wears pink on Fridays: Colleagues from our plant in Dallas/USA showed their colors and wore pink shirts on Fridays in October to support the breast cancer awareness. They bought the T-shirts and donated all the proceeds. These contributions totaled to the amount of $ 1,194 while the plant added a contribution of $1,500 totaling almost $ 2,700 in donations to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
The foundation has supported more than 2,000 researchers so far, leading to more than 3000 breakthroughs in the development of new breast cancer treatments, diagnosis and detection tools. The Dallas team feels amazing about having contributed to this wonderful cause and expect to do it next year too!
In Waverly, employees can nominate colleagues who are in need of help and support. This time, colleague Tammy Cummings, Cell Operator, received the most nominations – she had a difficult year in 2023 due to cancer. She received a gift voucher worth US$ 500 as support.
Our Portuguese team is committed to organizing KONECT Solidarity every year and helping people in need through many initiatives. For example, they collect food to support charities. In 2022, there was a major humanitarian aid initiative for Ukraine. Last year, colleagues organized a large collection of essential goods at the summer party, to which employees and their families were invited.
Every month, employees from Attendorn, Saarwellingen and Iserlohn/Germany can donate the cents from their wages and salaries to the “Cent-Beträge” social campaign. The aim is to support local projects at the KIRCHHOFF Automotive locations. So far, 2,200 euros have been donated to three charitable organizations: the Olpe women’s shelter, the Sonnenherz family cancer charity in Saarland and the Olpe children’s hospice. The project has been running in Attendorn and Saarwellingen since June 2016, while Iserlohn has been involved since January 2021.
Our colleagues from Gliwice/Poland have been cooperating with the Divine Mercy Hospice in Gliwice for many years. Before Christmas, they involved, among other things, in the collection of material resources. Therefore, they filled a cardboard box to the brim with hygiene items, sweets and cleaning products for the hospice charges. Once again, they showed that the holidays are a time of kindness to our neighbor.
In Mielec/Poland, our colleagues have traditionally been working with the local “Community of the Good-Hearted People”, Mikołaje na Motocyklach & Przyjaciele, to support two institutions during the Christmas season: the ISKIERKA day care home in Latoszyn and the children’s home in Skopanie. To this end, they collect food, cleaning products, hygiene items for babies, toys, sweets and more. The collected items and financial support are handed over to the children personally by “Santa Clauses” on motorbikes. In 2023, employees from Germany also took part, thanks to the support of Artur Rath, Director Operations from Attendorn.
Employees from Piteşti/Romania supported a local organization that provides after-school care for underprivileged children. Our colleagues helped to prepare pickled vegetables for the meals that the organization offers to the children. Pickled vegetables are a popular traditional Romanian side dish and the children were very happy to receive the help.
