Gütersloh, 01/02/2019

€25,000 For ‘Der Weg nach Hause’ Initiative

Bertelsmann is once again supporting the care of seriously ill children in a family environment through the palliative team at Bielefeld-Bethel. Since 2006, Bertelsmann has donated more than €300,000 to the Bethel initiative and the children’s hospice run by the von Bodelschwinghschen Stiftungen Bethel.

Bertelsmann is once again supporting the Bielefeld-based palliative team “Der Weg nach Hause” (The Way Home) this year. Instead of giving Christmas gifts to its business partners, the company is donating €25,000 to the Bethel initiative and the von Bodelschwinghschen Stiftungen Bethel children’s hospice.

On Dec 21, Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe presented a check to Rainer Norden, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the von Bodelschwinghschen Stiftungen Bethel, Eckard Hamelmann, chief physician of the Hospital for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Bethel Children’s Center, and Stefan Schwalfenberg, a senior physician of the “Der Weg nach Hause” mobile palliative team, at the Corporate Center in Gütersloh. The initiative’s mission is to provide care for terminally ill children in their home environment rather than in hospital. This is the twelfth consecutive year that Bertelsmann has chosen to support seriously ill children in the region rather than give Christmas gifts to business partners. Since 2006, this has resulted in donations of over €300,000 to “Der Weg nach Hause.”

‘Sustained Support For a Unique Project’

“Seriously ill children and adolescents not only require excellent medical care; they also need the security of their families and a familiar home environment,” said Thomas Rabe at the check presentation. “The ‘Der Weg nach Hause’ initiative has impressively made all this possible for many years. Bertelsmann is deeply interested in providing sustained support to this unique project.”

Together with Eckard Hamelmann and Stefan Schwalfenberg, Rainer Norden thanked Rabe for the donation: “Bertelsmann’s regular financial contribution is a great support for us. It has already enabled us to grow our team of doctors and gives us planning security. This helps us to offer affected children and their families treatment tailored to their needs and, in particular, give them the social support they need in these difficult times.”

The “Der Weg nach Hause” palliative team was established in 2004. Social workers, nursing staff, doctors, occupational therapists and pastoral care workers for severely ill children and adolescents as well as their families were exclusively financed by donations. In 2015, the project was converted into a specialized mobile palliative care (SAPV) unit for children, teenagers, and young adults by signing a contract with the statutory health insurance companies. Nevertheless, the association still depends on donations to provide comprehensive help quickly and without a lot of red tape. More information about the “Der Weg nach Hause” initiative can be found under here.