Henkel’s Holiday Spirit in Action

At many Henkel sites in Europe, employees used the Christmas season to organize collections and charitable campaigns to help people in need. Here are just some of the examples of how employees in eight countries are spreading joy this Holiday season.
 
Henkel employees at the Hemel Hempstead site in the UK have little doubt: A few kind words sent by email or via social networks instead of a postcard are welcomed just as warmly by their recipients – especially when they know that the money being saved on cards and postage goes to a good cause! This year, the donations collected will go to the Hertfordshire-based charity Isabel Hospice, where cancer patients can benefit from free advice and psychological care.
 
At Henkel Hungary, employees have been holding a regular charity event for the last six years through its “Henkel Angels” scheme in which colleagues are invited to pick children’s wishes from a painted Christmas tree. This year again, 150 children will receive gifts from Henkel employees. Charity partner of the campaign is Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet (Inter Church Aid).
 
 “Corporate Volunteering Day” is as much part of the pre-christmas tradition at Henkel Austria as a decorated Christmas tree. On December 2 employees collected clothing, shoes, blankets and toys for charitable organizations. The donations are to be sent to three aid organizations: Aktion Leben (Action for Life), the “Neunerhaus” shelter for the homeless, and the St. Benedikt children’s home.
 
Among the employees of Henkel Benelux, there are some who like to cook in their free time – and do it well. An amazing number of employees responded to an appeal for favorite recipes to be sent in for a company Christmas cookbook. These recipes have been compiled in the “Henkel Benelux’s Holiday Inspired Cookbook,” a culinary compendium of delicious creations for the festive season. The sales’ proceeds all go to a good cause.
 
Employees of Henkel’s Milan site are more than happy to be seduced into purchasing the finest chocolates and candies – not least because they know that their investment in these sweet sins will help improve the health of other people. For three years now the Italian Union to Fight Muscular Dystrophy (UILDM) has set up its chocolate sales stand in front of the Henkel restaurant. Candy manufacturer Lindt supports the project by granting the charity a generous wholesale discount. The employees pay the usual store prices for the chocolate and candy – the difference will be donated to UILDM.
 
Under the terms “1,000 colors – 1,000 smiles” employees of Henkel Iberica collected pens and colored markers. For each packet of pens that lands in the collection boxes around the site, Henkel is donating 1 euro and a Pritt stick to children growing up under tough circumstances.
 
The company is also supporting the “La Gran Recogida,” campaign – the Iberian version of a food bank campaign for people in need – with a donation of 10,000 euros.
 
At several Henkel sites in Germany, the “Christmas Wish Tree” campaign has been one of the highlights of the pre-holiday period for many years now. This time, Düsseldorf was joined by the sites in Bopfingen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Krefeld, Munich and Viersen-Dülken. Henkel employees were able to pick wishes of disadvantaged children, in order to fulfill them.