Plus animals, a lego car, sweets and lots of warm things. The girls and boys pack the gifts in the brightly colored shoeboxes and hope that they will bring joy to poor children. "When it comes to st. Martin and sharing with those in need, we explained to the children that there are also children in this world who are not so well off", tells educator cordula altmann.
The "christmas in a shoebox" campaign was a good occasion to fill the topic with life. The "children"s oasis this year is the first time that machtilshausen has taken part, and leader michaela warmuth is delighted with the successful premiere. "In this way, we too can make our small contribution", she emphasizes. There are four age groups at the facility, and each group donates a cardboard box. The prizes were sponsored by the children"s parents.
The densch family from machtilshausen has been involved in the campaign for needy children in eastern europe for nine years now. At that time, they were the first in the old district of hammelburg. "I got a flyer from a friend and we finished two boxes", dieter densch remembers the beginnings. Densch subsequently became more intensively involved with the subject and then also declared his willingness to accept boxes. "In the beginning there were maybe 30, the next year there were already 50, and finally we ended up with more than 300", reports the employee of the city administration.
Over 3000 flyers distributed
But the steadily growing response did not come on its own. Dieter densch has been doing a lot of advertising, asking the media for help and distributing flyers to schools and kindergartens, among other places. "This year alone there were over 3000 flyers", he reports. Commitment to "christmas in a shoebox is a matter close to his heart. "Children are given presents, some of whom have never received a present in their lives", makes the man clear.
In contrast to donating money to a charitable organization, the donor also sees what he is doing to make the children happy. "The head of the collection center, wolfgang schnepf, has already been present at the handover of the gifts and afterwards reported on the shining eyes of the children", says dieter densch. Some of the donors have also received thank-you letters from children. If you pack a shoebox, you can add your address to it.
"That's when you know that the help is getting through", underlines densch. His children are also eager to help. Christina (12), maximilian (8) and lukas (6) pack their own boxes, even paying for the gifts out of their pocket money.
Rough praise for commitment
Eva Albert has also been a donor for many years. "I myself have two grandchildren who are doing well. Other children should also get something out of the prosperity here in the country, she explains her motivation. The hammelburgerin supports therefore also the action "sube surprises" the kolping family and a sponsored child in a developing country. Your express praise for dieter densch's efforts. "I think it's good how he's been involved for years", affirms eva albert.
When a large pile has been collected, the densch family brings the packages from diebach and machtilshausen to fuchsstadt. Three years ago, the reis family agreed to set up a central collection point for the campaign. Bettina reis has been packing bags together with her sprouts for eight years now. "I think it's important to make children understand that not everyone is as well off as we are here in germany and that we should also think about the weak and the poor.", emphasizes bettina rice.
By van to egenhausen
The family not only accepts the boxes, they also take them to egenhausen near schweinfurt in their van with trailer. There, collection center manager wolfgang schnepf is waiting to receive the boxes. Here they are later transferred to trucks that transport the gifts to receiving countries in eastern europe, for example, to romania. The reis family manages around 100 boxes in one trip. Last year, 339 packages were handed in in machtilshausen, diebach and fuchsstadt.
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