Chocolate for charity

Relative poverty is also a big issue in Liechtenstein and the neighbouring Rhine Valley,
which is still taboo: Many families have financial problems, even if both parents work. For these families, sick children are often a particular burden: the families often cannot afford medically useful therapies. Families of children with disabilities also face challenges time and again: Often, only one parent can work because of the disability and the care required for the child. In addition, these children often need special aids that are not, or not fully, covered by health insurance.

Support for vulnerable families
SOS Children's Villages Liechtenstein therefore helps these families with a special donation programme: the Family Strengthening Programme, in cooperation with paediatricians in Liechtenstein, aims to provide medical therapies, aids or relief services that are not paid for by the health insurance or the IV and which exceed the family's financial means. Through this assistance, 30 to 50 children and adolescents are given the chance to receive medical therapies and aids every year.

Donative employees of Presta
SOS Children's Villages Liechtenstein received support from the Principality's largest employer and its employees. With an extraordinary fundraising campaign, thyssenkrupp Presta from Eschen collected a four-digit Swiss franc amount. The December was therefore marked by a special campaign at the specialists for individual steering systems: at the Father Christmas donation campaign, the thyssenkrupp Presta workforce could purchase chocolate Father Christmases for a donation of CHF 2.90 each. A total of over 1,700 Father Christmases were sold. In December, a total of 5,025.70 CHF was collected, and the company increased the donation to an even 10,000 CHF.

Thanks to the commitment and initiative of the learners
The project was organised by apprentices from the steering specialists: 16-year-old Andrin Oehri, in the first year of his commercial apprenticeship at thyssenkrupp Presta AG, supervised and implemented the project with the support of many other apprentices. For Markus Corn, head of vocational training at the Presta sites in Eschen and Oberegg, the Presta Father Christmas donation campaign is a good example of the company's training philosophy: "We not only attach great importance to the technical content of the specific apprenticeship. Our apprentices can also always be a part of extraordinary and
special projects like this one."

"A highlight for all employees"
Markus Corn also draws a positive conclusion in other respects. "I was very pleased with the commitment of the apprentices and all employees. It's always a highlight to carry out activities of this kind with the colleagues and to give something back to the region together," says Markus Corn. "Many people are not even aware that there are quite a few families in the Principality of Liechtenstein who cannot afford necessary therapies for their children," explains Markus Corn. "The great and very meaningful commitment of SOS Children's Villages Liechtenstein is all the more important. It was a matter of the heart for us to support the
to support the family strengthening programme."