Bonding - More than materials | Herrmann Ultraschall

“MY HUSBAND AND I ARE INSPIRED BY OUR CHRISTIAN BELIEF IN GOOD.” Astrid Herrmann GIVING OUR CHILDREN A FUTURE ANAFFAIR OFTHE HEART F aith plays an important role in the Herrmann family. Astrid and Thomas Herrmann are heavily involved in the church. The Kinder- und Jugendarche Karlsruhe, also known as the “ark,” is connected to the Protestant free church ICF. A project that is very close to Astrid Herrmann’s heart, in particular. “Children are the future and some children need special support,” says Astrid Herrmann, Head of Public Rela- tions at Herrmann Ultraschall and also responsible for controlling at the “ark” on a voluntary basis. The Karlsruhe ark offers assistance to children in need. The association is committed to ensuring that children and young people from low-income families or emotionally difficult fami- ly conditions experience equality of opportunity in their life. “We want to accompany children on part of their way into adult life so that they are fit for their own future, hopefully a better future,” continues Astrid Herrmann. Between 20 and 30 children come to the ark in the afternoons. They enjoy a communal lunch after school and tell the staff about their day, receive help with their homework, and can then play, run around, do arts and crafts, or bake. In addition, there are workshops on topics that interest the children and give them something for their life. “The educators and volunteer help- ers give the children stability. At the ark, they feel that there is someone who wants to do something good for them,” explains Astrid Herrmann. She has been involved with the ark since 2016. Sibylle Beck, founder of the ark, had spoken to her about it. “I had already been doing volunteer work for a long time; but here I somehow slid into it, you could say,” says Astrid Herrmann. Since then, she has helped to develop the structures in the asso- ciation behind the scenes. “The money should be spent the way in which the donors intended it to be; that is very important to me,” she says. “For this we need controlling and functioning processes; the ark has grown steadi- ly. And we also want to give our staff security – for their valuable work.” She is rarely involved in looking after the young guests. She did help out a few times. “That was pretty demanding,” she says with a laugh. “Taking care of the kids is far from easy – which is why I prefer to leave that to the profession- als, such as my son-in-law, who now works here as an educator.” She is very pleased that another mem- ber of the family is so committed to helping at the ark. Family is her number one priority; after all, she and Thomas Herrmann have two children themselves. Their first grandchild was born at the start of the year. The family is growing. “I love children. Life is all about the future and moving forward, and standing behind these kids and doing something to put wind in their sails is my and my hus- band Thomas’s motto,” she explains. With her volunteer work, Astrid Herrmann wants to make an impact, to make the world a little bit better. “I would like to show the little ones how important they are and the older ones that I respect them and that I value their efforts. To me, this appreciation is a fundamental value that holds our society together!” When the time comes that she no longer works for Herrmann, she can see herself volunteering even more intensively. The ark, says Astrid Herrmann, is like a big baby to her. “I would like to invest even more time; we want to continue to grow and open further locations,” she says. She would also like to support new school and educational concepts. “Seeing how the children change makes me happy. So much love and perspective are given in the ark; that needs to continue – it absolutely must!” 135