Corporate Social Sponsoring

    L&R connects generations.

    L&R Charity – We connect: This is the name of our Corporate Social Sponsoring programme, and we have been supporting international projects that bring different generations together under this title since 2015.

    The special thing about this is that we are supporting projects close to our colleagues’ hearts. And bringing old and young together is a primary focus here. As a group of companies that understands the values of a family business, this is extremely important for us.

    Our CSS projects in 2023

    The forest kindergarten group at the Anhausen kindergarten in Rhineland-Palatinate is regularly visited by local pensioners. They do handicrafts, cook and bake together.
    When the weather was bad, the forest kindergarten group children found shelter in an outdated, discarded portacabin. It was no longer safe for young and old and a new shelter was needed.
    This request gave rise to our L&R colleague's project of heart: In place of the old portacabin, a yurt was to become the new shelter for the children and senior citizens.
    With his well-founded CSS project submission and his commitment, he was able to convince the entire L&R CSS committee and secure the purchase of a new yurt with 9,000 euros

    Cancer can affect anyone. It is just as important as the medical treatment that affected women and girls regain self-confidence and a good feeling for their own body and appearance during and after the therapies.
    The non-profit organization “feel again”(https://www.feelagain.at/) from Austria offers free make-up courses to girls and women suffering from cancer.

    In order to be able to offer participants a comfortable space, they also rent premises. Our L&R colleague is passionate about the association's concept. She championed the idea of the association. Her commitment was supported by L&R with 5,000 euros.

    Product Donations 2023

    In 2023, the world was unfortunately confronted with numerous different natural disasters at different places - including Turkey/Syria or Morocco - and wars, such as in Ukraine, Israel/Gaza. Together with its partner organizations, L&R supports the victims of these terrible events as well as people in other places of need with extensive product donations.

    In total, more than 800 pallets were handed over to 19 organizations for distribution in 31 countries in 2023. Our subsidiary L&R Croatia, in particular, was once again exceptionally involved in providing aid to Ukraine after 2022.

    Our CSS projects in 2022

    At the beginning of 2022, we received a project submission from a colleague in Germany. He is a dedicated volunteer firefighter in Damscheid. In March, L&R supported the generation weekend of the three ages sections of the fire brigade with 3,000 euros. During the weekend, the fire pond was cleared of dead wood and new signage was installed for the forest nature trail.

    In spring also the project of a colleague from France was completed. The intention of his project was to facilitate contact between nursing home residents and their relatives in times of pandemic, when face2face visits are/were not possible. To improve exchange, iPads were purchased. L&R supported this project of heart with 1,500 euros.

    The kindergarten in Bad Hönnigen / Germany regularly visits the nearby centre for senior citizens to make music together. Unfortunately, a few musical instruments were missing. A colleague took this as an opportunity to submit his project idea. With L&R's support, musical instruments worth 500 euros could be bought.

     

    Productdonations: For the victims of the Ukraine war and beyond!

    Never before in the history of L&R we have donated as many products as in 2022! The all-dominant conflict in 2022 and therefore the target country for most donated items was Ukraine. This year, a total of more than 450 pallets of medical products were donated - almost 300 of them went to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries. Above all, our subsidiary L&R Croatia was extraordinarily committed to helping the victims of the Ukraine war. Summing up all donations to Ukraine, our commitment is worth more than 835,000 euros!

    Read more about L&R's support for Ukraine here.

    The other donation products were handed to our fixed partner organisations, that supported victims of wars, natural disasters or disadvantaged people in 32 countries around the world.

    Our CSS projects in 2021

    • In early 2021, we were able to provide support for a colleague from France with 1,000 euros for her Project in the Congo in Africa. This provided financing towards building accommodation for homeless people and orphans there.
    • An idea from a colleague from our site in Germany was financed too. He was working to ensure that the multi-generational house in Neuwied was able to obtain plants and other materials for its Generation Garden, and make it blossom. A lot could be bought with 7,000 euros.
    • Again in the first months of the year, we were able to provide Neuwied Zoo with 6,000 euros of support for purchasing plants - support that was very important, especially in the wake of those difficult months when the zoo was unable to welcome any visitors. A committed colleague of ours from Rengsdorf submitted the project and secured our support.
    • An entire L&R team from Austria was heavily involved in organising games and craft afternoons for multiple generations in the SenaCura Group's retirement homes. Of course, it is important to have the right materials, such as games and craft materials that can be used by young and old alike. L&R rewarded this idea with 2,500 euros.
    • Residents of St. Joseph Home in the Czech Republic (who are sufferers of multiple sclerosis) will be given the opportunity to attend cultural and experience events. This was the heartfelt desire of our Czech colleagues. L&R fulfilled this wish by offering 5,000 euros. The residents already enjoyed one trip in autumn with more to follow.
    • The Freundeskreis der Lebensmittelretter e.V. association in Germany urgently needed a new cold store for food donated to both the young and the old. Two committed colleagues submitted their marvellous project idea and received a sponsorship payment of 3,000 euros towards it.
    • Another of our German colleagues felt it was important to encourage acceptance between generations. He was promised 5,000 euros for the revival of the sports club NDKV in Niederdürenbach. The funds will be used to purchase various types of gymnastics equipment for intergenerational gymnastics groups.
    • Under the title “Poor & Rich”, an exhibition at the Dom Museum in Vienna deals with the contrasts between poverty and wealth. A Viennese colleague was looking to support special guided tours, where seniors and children can learn from one another. An amount of 5,100 euros was allocated to make it possible to provide suitable accompanying material for the exhibition visitors.

    L&R product donations and special donations

    For many years the L&R Group has been donating products via our partner organisations (e.g. Humedica e. V., Human Plus e. V., Caritas Wien, Hilfswerk Wien, Partenariat 57, Diospi Suyana) to regions and people in need. More than 200 pallets in total were delivered from our logistics centres in Germany, Austria and France in 2021! Our donated products are being used in more than 30 countries.

    What’s more, we are also there to help at very short notice when tragic events occur in countries where L&R is present. This is what happened this year, for example, following the natural disasters in Germany (floods), the Czech Republic (tornadoes) and Algeria (forest fires). Here L&R supported aid organisations, institutions, communities or people directly on the ground with special donations.

    L&R commitment after the floods in Germany

    Shortly after the terrible events in July of this year, an emergency relief team was formed at L&R. The L&R Executive Board provided the team with 75,000 euros in order to provide fast, bureaucracy-free help in the affected areas in the Ahr valley. In order to give our international colleagues the opportunity to donate as well, an L&R donation account was set up for the campaign for the first time. A total of 11,000 euros was paid into this account. In addition, colleagues donated a team bonus worth 15,000 euros. 

    All in all, L&R was able to provide support where help was needed most, with a total donation of over 100,000 euros. This sum was used to finance a wide range of things, such as first aid kits for those assisting on scene, purchasing food for the soup kitchen to help provide supplies for affected people and those helping on the ground, procuring working materials (shovels, wheelbarrows, work gloves, for organisations and private teams of aid staff), overnight accommodation in a nearby hotel for people suddenly made homeless, buying toys and ice cream to support a holiday camp for affected children, playground equipment for the completely destroyed outdoor area of the DRK specialist clinic for children and young people with psychiatric disorders in Bad Neuenahr, and a monetary donation to 21 families from Dernau whose houses were so badly damaged that complete renovation was necessary.

    L&R’s commitment after the tornado in the Czech Republic

    On the evening of 24 June 2021, a tornado with wind speeds of up to 400 km/h left a path of devastation 26 kilometres long and up to 700 metres wide in the south-east of the Czech Republic. 6 people lost their lives, 200 were injured. More than 1200 houses were damaged. 

    As a company in the healthcare sector and a provider of medical devices, it was immediately clear how L&R could initially help the victims of the tornado. We donated medical devices for acute care to the hospitals in Břeclav and Hodonín. Our employees also started collecting money for the victims of the tornado the day after the disaster, and soon after that they were also able to make a monetary donation through their pay slips. L&R Czech Republic and the Executive Board of the L&R group quickly decided to provide additional help to the affected region and the people living there. L&R donated a total of CZK 1 million to the three badly-affected villages of Moravská Nová Ves, Lužice and Hrušky. By making this contribution, we are providing long-term support for the reconstruction works, and are trying to do our bit to help secure a future for these people and villages.

    Shining with the stars 2.0

    The torchlight concert put on by the band Rumpelstil in Koblenz is an open-air event for the whole family. In 2016 the charity event came to Koblenz for the very first time, initiated and organized by 'Bunter Kreis Rheinland e.V.'. L&R was one of the main sponsors upon request from the project promoter Petra Butter. Also, in 2017 L&R joined in again. In front of the setting of the German Corner right on the river Rhine an entertaining programme from face painting to a balloon contest left no wishes unfulfilled for over 2.000 visitors. Of course, the electric torchlights came out later on to sparkle and shine and to light up the night. As in the past all the profits from the event were raised for the benefit of families with severely ill children. We are very proud to keep on supporting this amazing charity event under the umbrella of our social and corporate engagement. 

    It is never too late to learn to swim

    Under this motto L&R project promoter Anja Gasteiger organised swimming courses for young and old. In total 12 elderly people and 10 kids participated in five successive courses in order to learn swimming. The oldest participant was 86 years old, what a proud age! In the public swimming pool "WAVE" (Wörgl/Austria), everyone could practice and learn under professional guidance and supervision. Young and old supported each other eagerly in order to overcome any fear or doubts. Afterwards everyone joined in and together they ate the classical combination of French fries and ice cream. What a great way to spend time together! Very often the unexpected activities really bring generations together. This is why it is so important to us to be active and contribute in this matter. 

    Wound Care Consultation at the Neunerhaus

    Since a while now we are working together with the Neunerhaus in Vienna, Austria on the basis of regular product donations. Hereby we can make a valuable contribution towards the medical care of homeless people and their loved four-legged companions. Due to a personal commitment of one of our employees, Ivana Augustinovic, we could now further contribute and support the Neunerhaus in a rather extraordinary matter. As nowadays everyone seems to be on the move and our countries experience a consistent migration, new challenges in the handling of homeless people came up. This being said, some may not be able to understand or speak any German e.g., therefore communication and consultation in the event of healthcare has become extremely challenging. In order to have an improved communication basis and understanding, the Neunerhaus invested in a video translation tool. We supported this project financially and are very proud to be part of such a great initiative. In 2017 thanks to the translation tool over 700 consultations have successfully been translated into 22 languages. 

    We are the champions…

    On the second of May our colleagues in France organised in cooperation with the local kids football training centre and on initiative of the project promoter Morgan Chebion a football event day for kids and teachers of a children’s home in Epinal. The group visited the football training center of the football club AS Nancy-Lorraine as well as the Marcel-Picot football stadium. Within the afternoon all kids, no matter if young or old, did have the opportunity of coming really close to their football idols during an autograph session. Finally, as a further highlight everyone could choose a small present from the fan shop. What a great experience for everyone involved.

    Building a home where needed - Congo

    As we are operating worldwide, we don’t limit our corporate social responsibility to certain countries but take responsibility regardless of any borders. When Sonia Hamdi from our site in France approached us with her project, we were all deeply moved by her commitment and courage. She is the godmother of an orphan child from Mbuji Mayi and supports the association “Chemins d’Arc en Ciel” located near Servon/France. They take care of 25 schools, orphanages, maternity clinics and healthcare centers in the Congo/Africa. Besides financial support, the association highly depends on donations in form of books, pens, cloth, nutrition and also medical products for its healthcare centers. Currently they needed financial support in order to protect and further build up a new housing for orphans but also homeless people of different generations within the region Mbuji Mayi in the Congo. So, we took the opportunity to contribute to the heartwarming engagement of Sonia Hamdi.

    Household shop for the needy

    Just around the corner of the L&R headquarter in Rengsdorf, a very small but charming shop for the needy has its home base. The shop is run by a local union of the community in which our employee and project promoter Fabian Jacobi is actively involved. He took the opportunity to approach “L&R Charity – we connect” for financial support in order to build up a meeting corner within the shop. With this the communication and support under everyone involved shall be enhanced. We happily joined in and helped to make the meeting corner reality. It is remarkable to say that all profit of the shop goes into social projects. So, the shop does not only support the needy with an affordable range of products and good, such as cutlery, glasses, etc. but also generates even more benefit by investing in further projects. Inspired by this great example of social community work we are thinking about to organize so called donation days in Rengsdorf where everyone can bring what she/he can spare which we would then pass on to the local shop for the needy.

    Aim high: up to 3,700 meters in the Indian Himalayas

    In collaboration with the charity Förderverein Sani Zanskar e. V. and Aachen University Hospital, a community centre with an independent power supply that is used as a medical clinic and a winter school was built in Sani (India) several years ago. This centre urgently required repairs due to the extreme weather conditions found in this remote village in the Himalayas. With L&R’s support at the instigation of project promoter Martin Pohl, some members of the Heimback-Weis scout troop travelled in August 2017 to India and rebuilt the community centre together with other volunteer helpers and residents of Sani.

    Help for burn victims

    After severe burns, it is not only physical scars that need to be tended to but also emotional ones. Both happen at Camp Samba, which took place in June 2017 near São Paulo (Brazil) and was geared toward children and adolescents aged 7 to 15. In addition to sharing medical information on scar care, there were group therapy sessions on learning how to cope with the psychological consequences of burns. There were also recreational activities that were supervised by adults who also had burns and thus were able to respond optimally to their charges. L&R supported this event thanks to the initiative of project promoter Sascha Eichert.

    BenefitZ – Wir helfen Kindern e. V.

    The charitable group BenefitZ has as its mission to collect funds for projects that benefit of children. The members represent the group at markets and events around Koblenz (Germany) where they sell high-quality hand-made goods such as bags and decorative objects. Due to increasing involvement, it became necessary to purchase industrial sewing machines and racks and transport crates. At the initiative of project promoter Ulrich Theis, L&R made these purchases possible in the summer of 2017.

    Afternoon cooking classes with eight nations

    Project promoter Margarete Leimberger has long volunteered in her free time at the afternoon child care programme at the Pedagogical Centre in Purkersdorf (Austria) where children with mental and/or physical disabilities are taught. Currently, children from eight countries study together there, so the idea was suggested to conduct intercultural afternoon cooking classes where siblings, parents and grandparents can all join in. In the spring of 2017, the students and their families enjoyed a wide variety of delicacies typical of each country.

    Spend time together, learn from one another

    In keeping with this motto, a generational garden was planted at the ‘Rainbow Land’ daycare centre in Niederbreitbach (Germany) at the initiative of L&R project promoter Steffen Brenner. Salad greens and different types of vegetables grow in the raised beds built in the spring of 2017 and berry bushes, grapevines and fruit trees were planted in the existing garden. The entire garden is grown by the children who attend the daycare, their siblings, parents, grandparents and seniors from the community.

    Pre-Christmas Fire Show

    In the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Mendig (Germany), every year during the advent season the ‘Pre-Christmas Fire Magic’ fundraiser is held. It has an entertaining programme for adults and kids, along with numerous culinary highlights. Proceeds from the market are donated to local child welfare groups. There had long been a plan in the works to build a covered parking area where materials can be stored or, if the weather is bad, part of the ‘Fire Magic’ market can be relocated under a shelter out of the weather. At the initiative of project promoter Harald Frank, L&R financed the covered parking area that was built in record time in the autumn of 2016 thanks to many volunteers and was first used for the ‘Fire Magic’ event during the 2016 advent season.

    Preparation for any eventuality

    In the Czech town of Ostrava in the spring and autumn of 2016, two rounds of first aid classes were offered to grandparents that taught them first aid techniques specifically for their (grand)children. In addition to learning new information, the grandparents were also given comprehensive informational material to use as a reference at home so they can refresh their knowledge any time on their own. The classes were very popular and filled up very quickly and Czech television even reported on the involvement of L&R project promoter Tomáš Folkner, who had initiated and organised the classes.

    Shining with the stars!

    The torch concert put on by the band Rumpelstil in Koblenz (Germany) is geared toward the whole family: Against the backdrop of the Deutsches Eck headland right on the Rhine river, visitors can enjoy entertaining side events ranging from face painting to a balloon contest. The high point of the evening and the concert, however, is the song during which concert goers shine electric torches they have brought and the concert venue twinkles as brightly as the starry night. Profits from the event go to the Bunter Kreis Rheinland e. V., which helps families with severely ill children. At the initiative of L&R project promoter Petra Butter, L&R was the main sponsor of the event in 2016.

    Lively exchange between school and nursing home

    In early 2016 the Elisabethstift school in Berlin (Germany) had the idea to organise afternoon get-togethers for playing music and doing creative activities for the students and residents of a nearby nursing home, and L&R provided the funds for musical instruments and creative craft supplies. These music and creative afternoons have now become an established part of the social life of the school and the nursing home and are being continued every school year. As well as a craft club in which the students make little presents for the seniors, there are little concerts and foster grandparent relationships have formed between the children and seniors and the seniors attend school events such as the summer fête and a Christmas church service. With the help of project promoter Eva Ebert, L&R was thus able to kick start a project which has now taken on a life of its own and is continuing on without financial assistance from L&R. 

    Welcome and hello

    In the summer of 2016, L&R project promoter Anja Gasteiger organised a number of outings in Tirol (Austria) for refugees of all ages, children and adults from Tirol and the residents of two local nursing homes. During the leisure activities, such as trips to alpine meadows and boat trips, the participants got to know each other and friendships and foster grandparent relationships quickly formed: In addition to providing a now reliable source of assistance with, for example, homework, dealing with the authorities or searching for an apartment, foster grandparent relationships formed between unaccompanied children and adolescents and the seniors, with both sides benefiting.

    A gathering place for adults and kids

    On 30 September 2016 the children’s hospice Kinderhospiz Cuxhaven-Bremerhaven e. V. (Germany) opened. It provides care for terminally ill children and their parents and siblings as well as support for grieving children and for parents who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth. In addition to grief counselling for the period of time needed by the individual, the goal is also to create a friendly atmosphere that helps ease the transition to daily life after the mourning phase. An important part of creating this atmosphere was setting up a play space as a gathering spot for children, families and volunteers, where everyone can spend their free time together. On the initiative of project promoter Karima Köppen, L&R helped make this project a reality.

    Aid for Belarus

    The non-profit organisation Freu(n)de für Belarus e. V. in Heimbach-Weis (Germany) has for the last 25 years been helping those who live in areas in Belarus that are still contaminated with radiation. In the summer, a programme is run specifically for children to visit non-irradiated areas in Germany for three weeks, and this stay is also always used for doctor’s visits and purchasing needed items. L&R project promoter Fabian Jacobi has a family connection to the non-profit charity because his grandparents are founding members. Through his involvement, in the summer of 2016 L&R paid the expenses of about 60 children to travel from Belarus to Neuwied, where they were cared for by members of the non-profit charity during their respite stay.

    Exercise and play for all ages

    In the spring of 2016, the community of Niederzissen (Germany) planned the construction of a multigenerational playground that would not only be a place for children to play but also would have fitness equipment for adults. Furthermore, some of the equipment is designed specifically to meet the needs of seniors. Thanks to the instigation of project promoter Armin Retterath, L&R assumed some of the costs. The playground opened in April 2016 and has since become a gathering spot for members of the community.

    Advent event for a good cause

    The Christmas House in Neuwied (Germany) is a gathering place for young and old alike every year during the Christmas season. At the initiative of project promoter Meikel Rockenfeller, in December 2015 L&R financed the purchase of a variety of decoration materials and consumer goods. Proceeds from the Christmas House are traditionally donated to the ‘Help us live’ campaign, an initiative of the Rhein-Zeitung newspaper in Koblenz, which received a donation of EUR 8,000 in 2015.

    Are you an L&R employee and do you have a project you are passionate about that we can sponsor? Then become a project promoter and submit it to CSS@LRmed.com !