Engagement Emissaries named in DRIVE

Engagement Emissaries for 2019 are Dennis Kirschbaum, Lena Wiewell and Andrea Harwardt.

Together with the JUMA (Young-Muslim-Active) association, Dennis Sadik Kirschbaum helps young Muslims share their opinions, wishes and ideas, become socially integrated, and make their involvement visible to the general public

Andrea Harwardt founded the ‘Integration’ riding club with like-minded people 20 years ago in the town of Bernau in Brandenburg. Her aim is to share her passion for riding and enable people with and without disabilities to participate in equestrian and vaulting sports.

With her association ‘Tausche Bildung für Wohnen’ (exchange apartment for tutoring) Lena Wiewell supports the educational and personal development of underprivileged children from neighbourhoods like Duisburg-Marxloh and Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf.

“Volunteering strengthens the cohesion of our society. People who volunteer to help others shape our civil society,” said Parliamentary State Secretary Stefan Zierke in his opening remarks.

Volkswagen offers incentives and supports employees who perform volunteer work. “We want to raise the awareness of volunteering,” said Ralf Thomas, Head of Volkswagen pro Ehrenamt. “Our volunteers receive a lot of recognition and are shown appreciation from their supervisors and colleagues for their commitment. At the same time, they develop unique strengths and social skills, which they in turn bring to the workplace.”

Since 2004, the Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement (BBE) – Federal Citizen Involvement Network – has honoured the efforts of more than 30 million volunteers with the ‘Engagement Builds Strength’ campaign. The focus is on people who are supporting a good cause in self-initiated programmes or in companies, foundations, associations or institutions.