DHE BEGINS
In 2008, Schwenningen businessman Joachim Spitz took the initiative: With ProKids-VS, he began financing school meals for underprivileged children. Now this initiative has a new structure: Spitz has founded the ProKids Foundation.
Child poverty is not a new issue. Spitz, however, only became aware of the problem by chance. During a visit to the Deutenberg secondary school, he noticed that a number of children from socially disadvantaged families were unable to pay for the school meals offered – for whatever reason. "This can't be right," the entrepreneur thought to himself, driven by the desire to make a difference.
Joachim Spitz, managing director of Schwenninger Spitzdruck GmbH, took action: After numerous discussions and thorough preparation, the ProKids-VS initiative was launched in February 2008. At a symbolic kick-off event, together with Mayor Dr. Rupert Kubon, whom he had secured as patron, he cooked spaghetti for the children at the St. Elisabeth Kindergarten in Schwenningen. The initiative had begun.
From then on, the man from Schwenningen didn't let up. Fueled by unexpectedly strong support from the local population, Joachim Spitz raised many thousands of euros for poor children.
The organizer quickly realized, however, that providing aid in this country isn't so easy. After some bureaucratic wrangling, a pragmatic solution was finally found: the donations collected by the ProKids-VS initiative were distributed through the citizens' foundation. This gave teachers the opportunity to easily claim a meal allowance for underprivileged children in their classes.
The activities were well received not only by private individuals but also by the regional economy. People appreciated that their donations didn't go elsewhere but stayed in the city. Moreover, Spitz and his colleague Nándor Forgács themselves worked hard to raise money for the cause. Forgács took the photographs, Spitz did the printing: the result was a magnificent annual calendar that sold well. They also produced a calendar for the state garden show, which generated revenue for ProKids. The baby hatch project also garnered a great deal of attention. Shocked by the discovery of a dead baby near Singen, Spitz threw himself into the project and, with the help of sponsors, ensured that a baby hatch was installed at the Franziskusheim at the beginning of the year. Desperate young mothers can leave their newborns there in an emergency, instead of abandoning them and thus condemning them to certain death. "If we save just one life with this hatch, it will have been worthwhile," says Spitz.
To make this social commitment more sustainable and efficient, the Schwenningen resident had been searching for new organizational structures for some time. Initially, he wanted to found an association, but ultimately opted for a foundation that will finance and implement various aid projects for children. "My goal," says Joachim Spitz, "is to help as many children as possible with this new organizational form. In this region, and if necessary, beyond." He believes the need in this area is enormous.
The foundation's board of directors includes Joachim Spitz, the Schwenningen entrepreneurs Bernd Schaible and Jürgen Müller, while the foundation's council consists of Gerhard Waldmann, Guido Neuberger and the brothers Frank and Wolfgang Leuthe.
The launch of ProKids could not be better: During her visit today in Schwenningen at the business forum of the Oberzentrum trade association, none other than the Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Kristina Schröder Spitz, will present the foundation certificate.
"This is absolutely fantastic," says the Schwenningen resident, who will briefly introduce the new foundation on this occasion: It will oversee the local initiatives ProKids-VS and ProKids-RW (Rottweil), supporting and coordinating their work. The founders can envision launching further local initiatives, provided that volunteers can be found in each area who are willing to get involved.
