As in previous years, the SIMON GROUP is supporting several social projects in 2026. This time, donations totaling EUR 8,000 will be divided equally between the Förderverein Hilfe vor Ort Aichhalden, the Stfitung St. Franziskus, the Schramberg Tafel, and the DRK Bergwacht Rottweil. The donations were collected last year by the SIMON GROUP workforce. They consist of donation initiatives from the SIMON business units and departments as well as proceeds from various coffee funds.
"We are delighted to be able to support four social organizations in the region again in 2026. Our donations will enable important projects and services to be realized,“ emphasizes Managing Director Dr. Marc Siemer. ”All of these institutions support people in need. Rising costs and a lack of capacity are just two of the many challenges these institutions have to deal with in their work. Social projects are therefore more dependent than ever on financial support," adds Managing Director Tobias Hilgert.
The Förderverein Hilfe vor Ort Aichhalden organizes Caritas services in the community. Currently, over 50 volunteers support neighborhood assistance with care and relief services: shopping, going for walks, providing care, conversation, reading aloud (e.g., from the newspaper), transportation services, relief for family caregivers, help with household chores, and dementia care are among the many areas of activity. Fourteen volunteers from the visiting service visit retirement homes and hospitals, and pay congratulatory visits to seniors or families with newborns. One hundred clients receive ongoing care. In addition, there are 500 birthday and sick visits per year. Hilfe vor Ort Aichhalden provides several thousand hours of volunteer service annually.
TheStiftung St. Franziskus creates life prospects for 6,300 people at over 30 locations in southern Germany with its comprehensive range of services: professional care, support, training, and counseling, with the aim of contributing to greater joy in life for its clients. The focus is on the individual. The services are tailored to people of all ages, with or without disabilities. Services include outpatient and inpatient care, short-term care for elderly people and those in need of care, assisted living, day care, school and vocational training, and housing and support services for people with disabilities, to name just a few of the many services offered. Another major area of activity is child and youth welfare, as well as a comprehensive range of counseling services.
Buying a basket full of groceries for little money when you don't have enough money for the bare necessities? The Schramberger Tafel has been making this possible for over 25 years. More than 80 volunteers save food and sell it at low prices to those in need at the food bank store, e.g., large families, single parents, people who don't have enough money to live on despite having a job, or pensioners with low incomes. In recent years, applications for food bank eligibility in Schramberg have more than doubled. At the same time, the food bank initiative helps to prevent food waste.
The Bergwacht Rottweil is part of the German Red Cross and is a non-profit rescue service organization. Its main task is to carry out rescues in rough terrain, e.g., mountains, rocky terrain, forests, or slopes that are inaccessible to conventional equipment and rescue vehicles. Special equipment, safety precautions, and special training for the emergency services are required, as well as regular drills for emergencies. The volunteer rescue workers are on standby 24/7, 365 days a year.
The recipients of the donations thanked the SIMON GROUP team. The donations will go towards various projects, for example, the Stiftung St. Franziskus heartfelt project “A garden for well-being” will be supported.