According to the Munich social services department, there are 9,000 homeless people in the city, and the number of people who do not have proper accommodation or are sleeping rough keeps rising every year. Homeless women and their children are particularly at risk in such a situation and the covid pandemic just made everything much worse. This is a sad truth in a wealthy city like Munich.
Golding assumes its social responsibility – especially at times like these
Assuming social responsibility has always been part of the corporate culture at Golding. The covid pandemic, which has been particularly difficult for the poorest and weakest members of society, made it even more important to take action. So Golding organised two fundraising campaigns, which produced the substantial sum of €33,000 in donations to support the work of the Munich-based charity HORIZONT. Due to the pandemic, the official cheque was only handed over recently in the HORIZONT House Domagkpark in Munich. But Golding Managing Director Hubertus Theile-Ochel and HORIZONT founder and actor Jutta Speidel were all the more pleased finally to meet in person.
“It’s sad that so many mothers and their children experience domestic violence and suddenly have no home to go to. HORIZONT helps in these situations and we are delighted to support this association and its projects in Munich with our donation. It is a sign of our commitment to both local and multicultural issues”, underlined Golding Managing Director Hubertus Theile-Ochel.
The donation of €33,000 was raised with the help of two charity events. A total of €30,000 was donated at a company Christmas fund-raiser, and another €3,000 were added thanks to an investor survey, in which Golding made a donation of €30 for every completed questionnaire.
"We are delighted that such a substantial amount was donated. And that we can now see with our own eyes what it is being used to support is particularly satisfying”, adds Hubertus Theile-Ochel.
The donation was used for educational purposes, especially to get more IT hardware, such as laptops, iPads and printers, but also for staff to help the children staying at the HORIZONT House. The periods during the pandemic when children had to be home schooled was very challenging for the project. Even now, when the children get remedial teaching and support with their homework at school, the new IT equipment is a great help for all activities related to education and learning.
“Digital skills are becoming more and more important, and the women and children here should not be deprived of these opportunities due to their social status. So we are extremely grateful to Golding for this support”, said Jutta Speidel, founder of HORIZONT.
Education is the key to the future
The educational area for children and mothers is used to provide help with homework, individual coaching sessions, workshops, qualification programmes and a women’s café too. There is a wide range of workshops in which the children can learn many different skills, and get a certificate showing they know how to use a computer or eat healthily. “It means so much to the kids just to see and feel that someone is there for them”, says Christina Murgulescu, Head of Education at the HORIZONT House Domagkpark.
“The children and women in our facility have suffered terribly during the covid pandemic. We have seen some children develop mental blocks as a result of being isolated at home with the social distancing rules. Either they were there before and have now been reactivated or else they developed during the pandemic for the first time. These mental blocks make everyday life difficult for the children in many ways, whether it involves learning or social interactions. We are now working with external coaches to try and help the children to overcome these blocks”, explains Christina Murgulescu.
The need for safe spaces and support for children and mothers with no permanent accommodation remains high. So HORIZONT would like to help relieve the distress with another facility in Munich, and is already busy planning its third house. You can find out more about the project here.
About the Munich-based initiative HORIZONT
The non-profit organisation HORIZONT e.V. was founded in 1997 by the actor Jutta Speidel and runs two facilities dedicated to helping homeless mothers and their children, as well as socially disadvantaged families in Munich.
One is the sheltered HORIZONT house for traumatised women with their children, which offers them a safe place for a limited time and holistic support under one roof. The HORIZONT house Domagkpark is an open house with permanent accommodation and many socio-cultural programmes to encourage and promote the residents’ long-term integration into society. The house has a childcare centre, rooms for various educational programmes, a restaurant, a stage, a workshop and a garden maintained by the residents. In addition to physical protection and a welcoming atmosphere, this facility gives the women and children the opportunity to develop sustainable plans for restarting an independent life by emphasising the importance of learning, acquiring skills and language development. There are many reasons why the women and children who find shelter with HORIZONT are homeless: they may have fled domestic violence, lost their job or become seriously ill.
If you would like to find out more about the acknowledged and multiple award-winning HORIZONT initiative, please visit the website: www.horizont-muenchen.org
