As a “good corporate citizen”, Audi considers supporting the regions around its sites an important element of its social responsibility, especially during these times. On the occasion of “Neighbors’ Day” on May 28, the company is offering some insights into the donations it has made over the past months.
The company provides a large spectrum of aid that extends from promoting entire social sectors all the way to seemingly smaller individual projects that also often make a huge impact. For example, Audi financed what is known as a “Tovertafel” for the Lebenshilfe Ingolstadt organization.
This is a light projector that is attached to the ceiling and projects animations onto a table. These animations were developed specially for elderly people suffering from dementia as well as adults with mental disabilities. It is now installed in the cafeteria of a living group in Ingolstadt.
“It’s great to see how much joy it brings them to grow virtual flowers, stroke birds, or play ball. The Tovertafel also encourages the residents to spend some fun quality time together. Without the support from Audi, we would not have been able to afford this tool that offers such great therapeutic value,” says Ralf Giepen from region 10 of the Lebenshilfe organization.
At the Neckarsulm site, the company has been actively involved in supporting the Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences for many years, as projects in aid of education and youth are an explicit focus of the Audi Support Guidelines for Corporate Citizenship. This year, for example, Audi made a donation to the expansion of the fitness park on campus.
“The outdoor facilities are really popular with the students, who make active use of them,” says Ehrhard Steffen from the fundraising group of the Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences. “We are happy that the donation from Audi allows us to advance such projects that are close to our hearts even in these difficult times.”
In addition to such individual projects, Audi also supports entire social “sectors” regularly. This year, for example, the focus at the Ingolstadt site has already been on the “Tafel” organizations, which are food banks that distribute food products to people in need. A total of EUR 30,000 was donated to seven food banks in Ingolstadt and the region.
At the Neckarsulm site, one main focus of the donations was on regional care facilities. A total of nine social organizations received financial aid in the total amount of EUR 66,000 in 2021.
In addition, Audi is providing support in the context of the coronavirus pandemic in 2021. Multiple social institutions in Neckarsulm received aid for purchasing digital devices to use for virtual training as well as for protective and hygiene measures.
The Bavarian Red Cross in Ingolstadt has been using three VW buses borrowed from the AUDI AG fleet for its mobile vaccination teams for a few weeks. This allows persons in need of care to receive the vital coronavirus vaccination at home.
