Würth Foundation donates EUR 200,000 to Tafel food bank

For foundation founder Carmen Würth, this commitment is a matter very close to her heart: 

“Foundations can never replace government action, but can be a useful addition and provide important impetus. The work currently being done in the charitable shops deserves the highest appreciation. Food banks are a blessing to many people. However, with the emergency aid provided by Würth Foundation, we also want to encourage others to support the work of the local food banks, both with donations in kind and money, yet also by lending a hand in the charitable shops”, remarked Johannes Schmalzl, Chairman of the Executive Board of Würth Foundation. Johannes Schmalzl presented a generous donation check in the presence of volunteers, boards of the associations sponsoring the food banks, as well as representatives from the world of politics and his board colleagues. The donation checks were handed over at the Tafel food bank in Bad Mergentheim on Monday, 12 December 2022, and at the Crailsheim Tafel food bank on Wednesday, 14 December 2022.

The food banks in the Main-Tauber and Schwäbisch Hall districts will benefit from EUR 100,000 each. The food banks in Bad Mergentheim, Lauda-Königshofen, Tauberbischofsheim, and Wertheim, as well as the Crailsheim food bank and Hab & Gut Sozialkaufhaus (charity store) at Erlacher Höhe in Schwäbisch Hall are supported.

“At Diakonisches Werk, we are extremely delighted to receive such a generous donation. The money comes at just the right time, as rising maintenance and energy costs and a declining number of donated goods are bringing the food banks to their limits. Würth Foundation, as the charitable arm of the Würth Group, thus shows us that the company is not only valuable for the region as a company and employer, but also focuses on people in the Main-Tauber district who cannot live without social assistance. This is as valuable as it is important, and with a total donation of EUR 100,000, it is also extremely generous”, said Wolfgang Pempe, Managing Director of Diakonisches Werk in the Main-Tauber district, at the presentation of the donation check on Monday, 12 December 2022, at the Bad Mergentheim Tafel food bank.

“In times when rising energy and food prices mean that more and more people have to rely on food supplies in charitable shops and charity stores, the extremely generous commitment of Würth Foundation is a ray of hope: It directly secures the work of our social services and at the same time draws the public's attention to the current situation of people on low incomes, whose need is often not seen," said André Frank, Managing Director of the welfare institution Erlacher Höhe.“

“I cannot begin to tell you how happy we are about the incredibly generous donation made by Würth Foundation at this difficult time. With all our strength we try to counter poverty and loneliness and to connect people better, also using our mobile food bank. This donation is a great help and motivation”, says Karin Coffey, Head of the Crailsheim Tafel food bank. “In our region, too, people can hardly afford to pay their rent, energy and food, often because they are unemployed. With the job opportunities at the food banks, we are bringing long-term unemployed back into the primary labor market and create a basis for their own maintenance and provision,” said Aufbaugilde's Managing Director Gerald Bürkert.

Since summer, Würth Foundation has supported the two Tafel food banks in the Hohenlohe district in Künzelsau and Öhringen with a total of EUR 100,000.

The food banks of Diakonisches Werk in the Main-Tauber district
Many people in need visit the information centers of Diakonisches Werk. This is why Diakonisches Werk established charitable shops in cooperation with local initiatives and associations specifically founded to sponsor the food banks. The charitable shops in Wertheim and Bad Mergentheim opened their doors in 2006, the one in Lauda-Königshofen followed in 2008. 150 volunteers each help out either in the shop or as drivers, which equates to about 25,000 hours of voluntary work per year.

The Crailsheim Tafel food bank – Aufbaugilde Heilbronn
Since the fall of 2005 already, the Crailsheim Tafel food bank has been offering food and drugstore items to people in need. The charitable shop in Crailsheim is open Monday through Friday from 12:00 to 14:00 h and currently serves over 3,200 people in need. Apart from the charitable shop, the Crailsheim Tafel food bank offers a soup kitchen, a hall offering inexpensive furniture and clearing- out service, a clothes exchange, laundromat and shower facilities. 

Erlacher Höhe
Erlacher Höhe is a welfare institution and has more than 60 services on offer for people in need at 16 locations in Baden-Württemberg. Everybody is welcome at Hab & Gut charitable store at Erlacher Höhe in Schwäbisch Hall without having to provide information about their income. Up to 100 people are serviced on regular work days. Food is primarily given to people on a tight budget. Non-food items can be purchased by all customers. Thanks to employment and qualification measures organized by Hab & Gut charitable store, people who have been out of work for a long time experience fresh motivation and purpose in their lives and can gain a foothold on the labor market again.

Würth Foundation
Established in 1987 by Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold and Carmen Würth as a civil law foundation based in Künzelsau, Germany, the Würth Foundation promotes charitable and benevolent purposes. It promotes numerous projects in the fields of art and culture, research and science, education and training, and integration—primarily in the Heilbronn-Franconia region, the home of the Würth Group. The activities are supported by the German Würth Group companies, in particular Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.