“Volunteering Deserves Recognition”

The family business groninger is supporting the DRK district association Schwäbisch Hall-Crailsheim with a generous donation of 10,000 euros for the construction of the new building at Am Löwengang in Crailsheim.

For the first time, the new structure allows the DRK district association to centrally unite all service areas in one location. These include the rescue service, general training, social services, the Youth Red Cross, emergency reporting and the DRK preparedness in Crailsheim. 

The DRK is reimbursed for a portion of the construction expenditures for the full-time rescue service area. “Unfortunately, this is not possible for volunteer areas of responsibility, despite the fact that our volunteers comprise the majority of civil protection units in the Schwäbisch Hall district.” In doing so, they take on very important tasks for the state,” says Stefan Amend, district manager of the DRK. He explains why the construction project became necessary. “The rented accommodation is in need of significant renovation. At the same time, there are no heated changing rooms, sanitary facilities, nor storage facilities. The location of the classroom at a second location has also complicated the work and training of our volunteers.”

The construction costs for the voluntary portion of the construction project amount to a total of 1.2 million euros, of which 480,000 euros are to be raised through the DRK district association’s own funds.

“For us as an organization, this is a huge feat of strength that we can only manage through donations and support,” says Heiko Rieger, head of the DRK emergency service in Crailsheim, adding: “The new building helps us to demonstrate our commitment with almost 6,000 hours of help per year in civil protection, in medical services, in blood donations, in the Youth Red Cross and in emergency reporting for the people in the region, not only to maintain it, but even to expand it.” 

Heiko Rieger has been involved with the DRK for 22 years. He is currently a platoon commander and on-call leader in the first operational unit.  He has been working full-time in mechanical design at groninger's Schnelldorf location since 2010.

“I take my hat off to all of our employees who volunteer in their free time – in whatever form or shape. They enable our community to perform numerous things that would not be feasible without their volunteer work. "That deserves respect and recognition," says Jens Groninger, Managing Director of groninger.

“Health and crisis care in our society would continue to reach the limits of what is possible or simply collapse without the commitment of the many volunteers,” believes Volker Groninger, also managing director of the family business of the same name. 

That is why, the two shareholders agree, they would want to contribute financially to the German Red Cross, "especially as a family business with roots in Crailsheim.”

“The DRK is overjoyed with the kind donation.” groninger is making an important contribution to the realization of this important project and brings us one step closer to our goal,” says Michael Reich, who, like Heiko Rieger, works full-time at groninger and volunteers at the DRK in his spare time.