Social Responsibility
Even in Germany there is poverty: Especially in large cities such as Munich some do not even have enough for food. With an empty stomach it is hard to learn, and in many families there is neither enough money for breakfast and lunch packages nor for school books, tutoring or education. This is where we want to help:The charity organization “Münchner Tafel e.V.” cares for the needy in the Bavarian capital. It collects food which is still of perfect quality, but cannot be used by supermarkets and restaurants any longer, and distributes it to people in need, according to the motto “distribute, don’t dispose”. Every week the organization supports 1800 Munich citizens with food donations. About 1000t of groceries are distributed to the needy five days a week, either directly at more than 22 distribution points or indirectly via 85 charitable institutions. In 2009 we supported “Münchner Tafel e.V.” in a Pro-Bono project and implemented an IT-supported tool for route optimization.
In the future helpers won’t have to pore over maps in order to manually plan the routes of the trucks to be loaded with the grocery donations of supermarkets and restaurants. At the push of a button the new tool calculates the daily-updated, optimum route under consideration of truck loading capacities, box volumes and weights and varying pick-up points. This gives the helpers more time; time they can invest in direct help.
In addition we have supported underprivileged children in the Munich district of “Hasenbergl”, children who have little prospects for the future due to their social and/or migratory background and a lack of financial resources. Susanne Korbmacher did not want to ignore starvation and neglect any longer and founded the non-profit organization “Ghettokids” in 2000. The organization currently helps about 250 children and teenagers to help themselves by offering proactive measures such as homework help, an “education supermarket”, where children can borrow e-learning programs and books and the “Salon”, to which Mr. and Mrs. Korbmacher invite children to their home every Saturday afternoon for eating, learning and playing. Their work is supported by volunteers and private donators like us.
This year’s donation to Mrs. Korbmacher and her “Ghettokids” is meant to help interrupting the downward spiral of “no education, no future”.
For more information visit: www.ghettokids.org and www.muenchner-tafel.de