Volunteering that lasts

Kuraray Europe takes part in the Malteser Social Day for the 10th time

When our managers pick up the paint roller, our marketing specialists turn their attention to sawing and drilling and our production operatives starting painting colourful flowers on walls with a fine paintbrush, we know it’s Malteser Social Day! As usual, Kuraray took part in this nationwide corporate volunteering day last September. For the tenth time, a normal working day was turned into a hands-on experience of social commitment. And the volunteers benefited as much as the Zentgrafen School in Frankfurt am Main and the Heidepänz childcare centre in Troisdorf. The joint effort has a valuable team-building effect that strengthens our sense of community, especially when so many people are working from home.

By the afternoon, the drab grey pillar is hardly recognizable: now suns, flowers and a colourful rainbow greet the kids at the entrance to Zentgrafen primary school in the Seckbach district of Frankfurt. The team had been asked to brighten up the school by painting the outside walls, transformer station, slide and playground. In a single day, Kuraray’s 20 volunteer “painters” from Hattersheim and Höchst transformed the outdoor areas into a truly colourful ensemble. As a bonus, they also installed new wooden planks to strengthen the platform at the top of the slide and make playtime safer for the kids. Our colleagues were helped by the excellent preparations by the school and its great hospitality. That turned the event into a real community day.

Kuraray has taken part in the Malteser Social Day for almost 10 years now – with a fantastic team of motivated volunteers.

Moritz Ehlert, Business Transformation & Marketing Team at Kuraray Europe

“It’s a great opportunity for our company to make a contribution to the region and step in pragmatically to help local organisations and institutions. At the same time, it’s refreshing for people from different sites and departments to tackle challenges together,” says Moritz Ehlert with a bucket of paint in his hand. His “normal” job is in the Business Transformation & Marketing team at Kuraray Europe.

Enthusiastic helpers

That sentiment is shared by the many volunteers from our site in Troisdorf. Traditionally, they support the Heidepänz childcare facility. The local team is made up of a hard core of volunteers who have taken part in the project for more than six years. Over the years, they have developed a great rapport with the people at the facility. Once again, they tackled the tasks with great enthusiasm. This time, they dug and levelled the ground and built a wood-plastic composite (WPC) terrace, laid paving stones and fixed the terrace supports.

That was not easy: as well as skill and technical knowledge, special tools were needed – but our colleagues in Troisdorf simply brought them along from their own homes. As sustainable ideas, the team also created a herb pyramid using plantable bricks and a plant tepee for the children to play in. They were rewarded for their work with delicious snacks and the delighted faces at the end of the day.

Social responsibility is part of Kuraray’s corporate DNA. That is demonstrated by many donations and charitable projects. For the past ten years, taking part in the Malteser Social Day has given us an opportunity to enjoy exceptional encounters – with people in many social institutions and ourselves. Together we show that social responsibility has a lasting impact. That’s why we’ll be back in 2022!


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