Social Days: Every effort was a success

This year, you once again demonstrated remarkable commitment to social projects during the Social Days, as part of the corporate volunteering programme – and offered invaluable support.

Social Days have a long tradition at ERGO. Year after year, numerous ERGO employees take part in charitable projects, thereby not only strengthening the commitment to social responsibility embedded in our corporate culture, but also illustrating what active engagement can look like.

Corporate Volunteering Has Many Benefits

The social projects varied greatly in their focus, but above all, they had one thing in common: they were a win for everyone involved – for the projects, for the participants, and for the concept of corporate volunteering itself. Gaining a new perspective by gaining insights into often unfamiliar fields of work, meeting interesting people, and experiencing the satisfaction of helping where support is truly needed, left everyone with more than just fond memories. Last but not least, taking part in these charitable projects provided fresh impetus for team spirit and for ERGO as a whole. Growing together.

A Selection of This Year’s Social Projects:

Hamburg, 18 September 2025: Outing with People in Need of Assistance

Here, the volunteers visited Haus am See, a multi-generational project offering counselling, educational initiatives, and a café. They supported the staff in caring for clients in day care who rely on guidance and reassurance. The programme included a joint outing, providing ample opportunity for mutual exchange.

Düsseldorf, 22 September 2025: Gardening at a Nursing Home

The helping hands of ERGO employees were warmly welcomed in sprucing up the garden at the AWO’s Hans Jeratsch House. After all, this green oasis is meant to be a place where people can feel at home and socialise in every season. A fence, garden ornaments and a rose arch needed to be installed, and the flower boxes were planted. There was also plenty of time for some sporting activities, with a game of table hockey and a relaxed barbecue in the evening. The verdict: ‘We’d love to return.’

Düsseldorf, 23 September 2025: Taking Senior Citizens to the BuGa Grounds

The AWO nursing home in Lörick also required active support. In order to enable the residents to enjoy an outing to the former BuGa grounds, the volunteers’ muscle power was especially needed, as some participants were dependent on wheelchairs or walking frames, which had to be loaded into and out of the transport vehicles. However, the focus was on leisurely walks and lively conversations, from which the volunteers gained many new impressions.

Cologne, 23 September 2025: Helping Hands for Humanitarian Aid

ERGO colleagues from Cologne visited the Emmaus facility. The living and working community is open to all, regardless of nationality, background, or religious or political beliefs. The social project demanded some hard work, as an 18-tonne lorry had to be loaded with relief supplies for transport to Ukraine via Poland. Before that, however, the many second-hand donations needed to be cleaned and properly sorted.

Düsseldorf, 25 September 2025: Out to the Apple Harvest

Haus Bürgel and the ERGO Volunteers share a long-standing friendship. Every year at harvest time, the team can count on extra helping hands. The biological station is dedicated to preserving natural treasures and the cultivated landscape. In addition to caring for the old fruit trees in the heart of the Rhine floodplains, the non-profit association offers a wide range of excursions, lectures, and activities to raise awareness of responsible interaction with nature.

Hamburg, 25 September 2025: Active Nature Conservation in the Orchard

Anyone wishing to experience practical nature conservation could join in with the maintenance and preparation for planting the orchard meadow in Hamburg-Schnelsen. The Hamburg branch of the German Forest Protection Association preserves ecologically valuable areas and offers educational opportunities on the sustainable use of our local environment.

Munich, 29 September 2025: Gardening for Greater Inclusion

The team at Gärtnerei am Hart, where many people with disabilities work, was also delighted to receive active support. ERGO volunteers not only had the chance to engage in interesting conversations, but also to help build, fill, and plant raised beds. The Garten am Hart is part of the Pfennigparade, which runs 80 services and facilities in the greater Munich area, with the aim of promoting inclusion and social participation for people with disabilities.

Cologne, 30 September 2025: Interior Design for a Meeting Place

With great enthusiasm and a desire to get stuck in with paintbrushes and screwdrivers, the volunteers in Cologne set to work on the renovation and design at Café F. A lot of work awaited them at this popular multifunctional meeting and counselling centre for the Cologne and Pulheim neighbourhood. The aim is to create spaces that are optimally equipped for a wide variety of activities.

Nuremberg, 7 October 2025: For a Good Start in Education and Life

ERGO employees who helped build benches for the Dr. Theodor Schöller Primary School in north-west Nuremberg needed both craftsmanship and creativity. The motivation was to provide the children with modern, event-oriented and flexible options for shaping their classrooms. The school, which has around 400 pupils, includes a high proportion of children from migrant and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. It is committed to integration and language support and implements effective social and educational concepts.

Comments from Colleagues Who Took Part in Projects:

Volunteering Day at the Hans Jeratsch Haus Retirement Home

“Our Volunteering Day last week was full of wonderful moments, team spirit and encounters. We rolled up our sleeves together first thing in the morning: we built a rose arch, assembled a raised bed, and planted colourful tulip bulbs and two fig trees, which will hopefully bring joy for many years to come. Once the gardening was done, we swapped our ‘tools’ for wooden pucks and played table hockey with the residents. It was wonderful to see how much enthusiasm, laughter and good cheer this generated – the joy was palpable and infectious. At the end of the day, we enjoyed a barbecue in the sunshine. Over a delicious meal, we were able to chat with each other and our ERGO colleagues, laugh together and savour the relaxed atmosphere. Our conclusion: this day showed us just how rewarding it is to give our time and make a difference together. We’d love to come back!”

A Good and Interesting Day at the Hart der Pfennigparade

“In a small mixed group from the company, we went to the Pfennigparade garden centre to spend the day with disabled people and support them in their work. We split into two mixed groups to harvest tomatoes, peppers and aubergines, expertly guided by the employees. As the weather was good, we were able to prepare beds for new plantings and plant lettuce and leeks, as well as onions and garlic for the coming year. Between tasks, and of course during lunch, there were always opportunities to chat. We laughed, joked, and also talked about our personal backgrounds. For us, the day was very interesting, enjoyable and fulfilling, but also exhausting (some of our muscles were sore the next day). And after the work was done, we bought a few vegetables for ourselves in the garden centre’s farm shop.”

Social Day at the AWO Care Facility, Ernst-und-Berta-Grimmke-Haus in Düsseldorf

“We, the ERGO team, offered the residents and day guests of the AWO a varied day, and I have rarely felt so much gratitude. Our energetic ERGO team was able to give the senior citizens many valuable, happy moments through games, conversations, and an outing in nature at the BuGa grounds (according to the feedback we received). But it wasn’t a one-way street; we also took away many impressions. I am convinced that the entire team shares this positive experience.”

Emmaus Community Cologne

“On 23 September 2025, we had the opportunity to experience a social day at the non-profit association Emmaus in Cologne. Together with other dedicated volunteers, our ERGO team was tasked with loading an 18-tonne lorry with second-hand items, which was then transported to a non-profit partner association in Poland. These items included donated sleeping bags, bed linen, furniture, carpets, household appliances, electrical goods, bicycles and games. With a great deal of team spirit and combined effort, we got to work and stowed the donations. The friendly, considerate and purposeful interaction meant we quickly felt part of a community. It was impressive to see how people are supported by the work of Emmaus and how important such donations are. Lunch was another expression of the hospitality we experienced throughout the day. We also had the opportunity to talk to members of the community and learn more about their way of life and the goals of Emmaus. Overall, the Social Day was an enriching experience. Not only were we able to make a practical contribution to a valuable social project, but we also gained many positive impressions and new perspectives. We are grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this initiative and hope that our help can make a small difference.”

Text: Bärbel Naberbäumer/Martin Sulkowsky