SCHIRMHERR
Member of the German Bundestag Thorsten Frei
"'The world lives from people who do more than their duty.' This sentence by the German actor Ewald Balser describes, both vividly and succinctly, that the prosperity of our society and the well-being of its people cannot be planned or decreed by the state, but must be borne and worked for by the people of society as a whole.
It describes very accurately that our common good, of which we can be very proud and which many countries in the world envy us, results above all from the willingness of each individual not only to think of themselves, but also to help others and to make at least a small individual contribution to improving the local community.
No matter how small the voluntary commitment of an individual may seem, with an army of more than 24 million citizens involved in voluntary work, it quickly becomes clear what socio-political significance voluntary work has outside of family, business and public administration in Germany.
Former Federal President Joachim Gauck rightly stated that "our cities and towns would not be viable and probably not as livable without those who serve voluntarily on the district council or city council, who establish associations and wrestle in meetings." With this, he acknowledged civic engagement at the highest level as a central cornerstone of a functioning society, our society.
A central role is played by the social interaction and solidarity of people in today's stressful, hectic world, often referred to as a 'meritocracy.' Mutual care is a living expression of Christian charity, which has been firmly anchored in our society for centuries.
The ProKids Foundation VS has also taken on this charity as its mission. It was founded in 2008 to provide socially disadvantaged children in Villingen-Schwenningen with a decent meal at school. Since then, Joachim Spitz's team has worked on numerous projects, put even more heart and soul into it, and has dedicated a great deal of effort to ensuring that disadvantaged children in Villingen-Schwenningen are not left on the sidelines, but are in the spotlight, receive better opportunities in life, and thus, to some extent, enjoy a happy childhood.
When Joachim Spitz asked me if I would like to support the foundation's projects with my political work, it was immediately clear to me that I would be happy to get involved with the foundation. Because every personal commitment to ProKids can be measured in concrete terms. Every minute invested is worth it. Working for ProKids makes a difference. This makes life better for many children. That's what matters to me. Even if not all children are the same and everyone has different talents, as a wealthy society we should be able to afford to ensure that every child, regardless of their parents' financial situation, has a good start and good opportunities in life.
Anyone can contribute, even without a significant financial or time commitment. Therefore, I would be delighted if you would support us in the future and become part of ProKids.
