25,000 euros for the Dortmund food bank
Sustainability means focussing on what is really important. That's why, with our donation to Dortmunder Tafel, we want to seize an opportunity in the run-up to Christmas to act in a sustainable, responsible and future-proof way.
"Instead of giving small gifts to our customers, we want to make a big difference for those people who urgently need our help," explains ATLAS CEO Hendrik Schabsky. "On behalf of all our valued customers, we are donating to the Dortmunder Tafel instead of fuelling the Christmas consumer boom. We are convinced that this is a way of bringing something good into the world and putting a smile on the faces of people who have a particularly hard time at Christmas."
The Dortmunder Tafel distributes an incredible 100,000 kilograms of food to people in need every week. With our donation, we would like to help support this important work and at the same time set an example for sustainable action.
Joey Kelly as a guest at the donation handover
A special moment was the handover of the donation cheque on 4 December 2024, which was attended by extreme athlete and ATLAS brand ambassador Joey Kelly.
Joey Kelly was impressed by the work of the Dortmunder Tafel:
"Most people don't even know how much logistics and commitment are behind an organisation like this. The Tafel does a great job with its more than 350 volunteers. I hope that many others will follow this example and donate too - not just at Christmas, but all year round."
Together for a
better future
The work of the Dortmunder Tafel would be unthinkable without the active help of many people. Over 400 volunteers regularly help the Dortmunder Tafel to collect between 80,000 kg and 100,000 kg of food every week and distribute it to over 14,000 people. ATLAS has been working alongside the Dortmunder Tafel for several years to support this important service.
One of the basic tasks is to collect and distribute food. One of the ways in which ATLAS contributes to this is by providing storage space for food and personal protective equipment.
The Dortmunder Tafel currently uses more than 11 vehicles to collect food from up to 174 suppliers and donors every day. Logistically, this is a major challenge that is constantly growing and requires careful planning. ATLAS has supported the Dortmunder Tafel with the purchase of a new transport vehicle, a Mercedes E-Sprinter to be precise. This means that even more food can be transported safely and in perfect condition.
We firmly believe that organisations like the Dortmunder Tafel, which look after our fellow human beings and stand by them in difficult times, are of great importance. Together, we are working towards a better future and demonstrating that humanity and support are the cornerstones of our society.
ATLAS donates 35 jackets for employees
of the Dortmunder Tafel
The employees of the Dortmunder Tafel food bank were given new softshell jackets at the end of the year. All in orange and embroidered with the Tafel logo, the drivers were delighted with the support from ATLAS. "The drivers of the Dortmunder Tafel are very well recognised and serve as perfect brand ambassadors," says Hendrik Schabsky, CEO ATLAS.
Logistics at the Tafel
The expansion of the Dortmunder Tafel as one of six distribution centres in NRW is picking up speed. With additional storage space and new support in the logistics area, larger quantities of goods can now be handled at once.
At the end of 2019, the state association of food banks in NRW decided to expand and build six distribution centres. The aim: to provide larger storage facilities for donated frozen, chilled and dry goods in Dortmund, Coesfeld/Münster, Aachen, Wuppertal, Dormagen and Cologne.
Large transshipment centre in the Wickede industrial estate
"As we can now transport larger quantities of goods, it is of course also necessary for us to have the appropriate storage space," explains Ansgar Wortmann, Operations Manager at Tafel Dortmund. There is now a solution for this too. On the premises of the ATLAS shoe factory, Hendrik Schabsky, CEO of ATLAS, has provided an articulated lorry handling area, storage space for 150 Euro pallets and, together with Bloedorn Container GmbH, two 40-foot refrigerated containers. Three more refrigerated containers are planned for the site. One of these refrigerated containers can hold around 20 Euro pallets of frozen goods. In total, the transshipment warehouse on the ATLAS site offers storage space for eight to nine long-distance trains, i.e. large lorry loads.
BOARD IS EQUIPPED
To mark the 15th anniversary of the Dortmunder Tafel, ATLAS is outfitting its employees. At the beginning of July, Hendrik Schabsky, CEO of ATLAS, handed over 40 embroidered softshell jackets with the Tafel logo to the drivers of the Dortmunder Tafel. With their new outfits, the drivers have become brand ambassadors for the Tafel and were delighted with the support.
COLOURFUL TABLE IN THE SHOE FACTORY
A special event took place in an unusual location on Saturday 17 March: ATLAS had converted the warehouses into an impressive event space to present a charity evening to the Dortmunder Tafel.
On stage, there was a varied programme of music ranging from classical and flamenco to jazz, and Duisburg cabaret artist Kai Magnus Sting set off a linguistic firework display, introducing the 250 or so guests to the peculiarities of the Ruhr area language.
Formula 1 presenter Heiko Waßer hosted the colourful evening and also told some stories from the world of sport.
After BVB bee Emma had already welcomed the guests at the beginning, another BVB celebrity took to the stage during the course of the evening: Patrick Owomoyela had a special gift in his luggage, which he auctioned off together with Heiko Waßer for the benefit of the Tafel: a whole match day alongside stadium announcer Nobby Dickel.
The chairman of the Dortmunder Tafel, Dr Horst Röhr, was very grateful for the great commitment of Hendrik Schabsky, the managing partner of ATLAS, who had the idea for the charity evening.
This evening was a complete success: for the guests, who were able to experience a varied evening, and for the Dortmunder Tafel, which, in addition to the financial contribution of 30,000 euros, can also look forward to many new supporters.
ATLAS and Dortmunder Tafel
start co-operation
Since mid-February, ATLAS Schuhfabrik has made part of its storage space in Dortmund-Wickede available to the Dortmunder Tafel food bank free of charge. Because the number of needy people in Dortmund is increasing, the food bank has to keep more and more food in stock. Fortunately, the number of donations has also risen at the same time: the Dortmunder Tafel currently collects food from up to 174 suppliers and donors every day using 11 vehicles. This means that between 84,000 and 108,000 kg are collected in a week. The food bank has to sort these and store some of them temporarily, for example when supermarkets remove non-food items from their range at short notice or food producers give away excess stock. In future, ATLAS Schuhfabrik will keep around 30 pallet spaces permanently free in its warehouse for this purpose: "This means that the food bank does not have to spend valuable donations on renting a warehouse and we can help to ensure that those in need in Dortmund receive even better help," says ATLAS CEO Hendrik Schabsky, who is himself active on the advisory board of the Dortmunder Tafel. However, the fact that the food bank needs storage space does not mean that enough food donations are received every week, emphasises Dr Horst Röhr, Chairman of the food bank. "We can still urgently use every donation, because the demand is also increasing," says Röhr. "We are very grateful for the opportunity to temporarily store large donations at short notice at ATLAS and hope that this will encourage other companies to follow suit."
