Raben Trans European Germany GmbH is participating in the relief operation with its own collection points and trucks, which take the parcels to Bulgaria, Moldavia, Romania and the Ukraine from 5 to 12 December. Patron of the charitable project of Round Table, Ladies' Circle, Tangent Club and Old Tablers is for the fourth time Ewald Raben, CEO of Raben Group.
"My team and I are very happy to participate in the convoy every year, because we know that help gets to where it is really needed," says Ewald Raben.
The Christmas parcel convoy is travelling again this year, despite the current difficult situation. It brings presents to needy children in remote and rural areas in Eastern Europe.
The Christmas parcel convoy started on 5 December in Hanau, Hesse. This year 31 trucks was loaded with 141.723 parcels with toys and clothes. In addition gifts include games, writing utensils, hygiene items such as washing clothes or toothbrushes, as well as painting and school utensils and sweets.
The volunteers will deliver the presents to clinics, orphanages, schools and kindergartens.
"The idea behind this is that children actively and consciously participate in the parcel. In return, they give a well-preserved, functional toy," says Sabine Zange, managing director of the Christmas convoy. The goal is not the number of packages, but the joy of the children.
Due to the current difficult situation in all destination and transit countries as well as in Germany, the convoy is bound to numerous specifications. For example, no fellow passengers are allowed to travel with the convoy. The new contact restrictions also make it more difficult for the volunteers to transport the parcels from the collection points to Raben's central warehouse in Mühlheim-Kärlich.
"However, our primary goal was and still is to transport the parcels to the children, as it is more important than ever at the moment to transport joy," says Zange.
Since 2001, the Christmas parcel convoy has brought over 1 million gifts to Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine. Unfortunately, the hundreds of helpers have to stay at home this year, as the parcels are transported to the destination countries by a forwarding agent. There they will be distributed to needy children by the supporters and helpers network of the Christmas parcel convoy.