METTMANN DISTRICT. With over 120 guests, the Niederberg Junior Chamber (WJ) celebrated its first autumn festival at the end of October in "Little Switzerland" in Velbert. In addition to an excellent (Bavarian) buffet, games, and dancing, social engagement was at the forefront of the event.
During the celebration, a check for "at least €2,000" was presented to Renate Zanjani and Tanja Högström from the Velbert Tafel food bank for Niederberg. "At least" because the amount already secured was increased during the course of the evening to a final total of €3,000.
This was thanks to the generous guests, who donated over €500, and WJ member Felix Kaiser (Werkzeugbau Kaiser, Velbert), who rounded the amount up to the full thousand."We wanted to organize an internal party again this year, but it had to be a little different from the balls of previous years," says Autumn Festival organizer Tim Kartheuser, who tackled the project together with Kathrin Damann, Daniel Grimm, Kevin Peter, Bastian Becker, and Jonas Wiehoff. "Of course, we still remained true to the tradition of combining such an occasion with a donation to a social cause." And so, the admission fees, sponsorship money, and donations collected during the evening added up to a substantial sum that the food bank knows how to put to good use. "The food for those in need is donated to us, but the logistics behind it have to be financed," Renate Zanjani explained to the guests. And that is not much different from what companies are familiar with. "We have two full-time employees and currently 122 volunteers who need to be coordinated." At the six locations in Velbert (4), Heiligenhaus, and Wülfrath, they work in teams of 20 employees. The money will go toward vehicle maintenance and upkeep, ancillary rental costs for the locations and warehousing, and employee training. In addition to expressing their gratitude for the donation, Zanjani and Högström have already announced that 2017 will be a special year. "We will be turning 15 next year and we want to celebrate that," said Högström. "On April 8, we are inviting everyone to 'Tafel on Stage' at the Paul-Ludowigs-Haus. Advance ticket sales will begin around Christmas."
If you would like to find out more about the Niederberg Junior Chamber or get involved, you can find all the necessary information and contact details online at www.wj-niederberg.de.
The Niederberg Junior Chamber volunteers throughout the Mettmann district. It is one of over 200 district associations of the Junior Chamber International Germany (WJD) and is supported by the Düsseldorf Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Its goal is to offer young executives and entrepreneurs up to the age of 40 a platform for interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and experiences.