THE FOUNDATION

For a foundation founder, it was a dream start on Wednesday, July 14, 2010, for Schwenningen-based entrepreneur Joachim Spitz: Federal Minister for Family Affairs Kristina Schröder personally presented him with the foundation charter. It was fitting, too: The good work Spitz will be doing under the umbrella of the ProKids Foundation in the future actually falls under her purview: ProKids raises funds for projects that benefit children in need. In recent years, Joachim Spitz has built two local aid initiatives under the "ProKids" brand – in VS and Rottweil – which will now operate under the umbrella of the foundation. His vision, he said yesterday, is to initiate "as many local initiatives as possible" that operate independently of one another and provide regional support. "With our foundation," the founder said, "we want to help as many children as possible." Specific projects in Villingen-Schwenningen are already planned, Spitz revealed.

ProKids intends to continue funding school meals for children from low-income families as before. This, however, involves considerable expenditure; it requires approximately €25,000 in donations per year.



Member of the German Bundestag Siegfried Kauder, who presented the foundation's deed together with Federal Minister for Family Affairs Schröder, praised ProKids' work and described Joachim Spitz as a doer who takes action rather than just talking. "It's easy to talk about volunteer work, but he paid for the baby hatch," Kauder stated dryly, alluding to a major social project that was recently completed: ProKids had gone to great lengths to install such a hatch in Schwenningen.