RTL Group | Hamburg, 07/19/2022

One Year After The Floods: How Stiftung Stern Is Helping

RTL Deutschland’s Stiftung Stern foundation has been supporting people impacted by the July 2021 flooding in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rheinland-Palatinate as well as funding reconstruction projects. In an interview, Catrin Boldebuck of Stiftung Stern takes stock of the relief activities. After the floods, the foundation raised a total of €740,000 in donations.

The extent of the flooding in parts of western Germany in July 2021 was enormous and, fortunately, so was the willingness of people to help. RTL Deutschland’s Stiftung Stern  foundation is supporting reconstruction projects in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. The Hamburg “Greenport” intranet spoke with Catrin Boldebuck of Stiftung Stern about the relief activities:

How much was raised by Stiftung Stern after the floods?

Catrin Boldebuck: In the days and weeks after the floods, Stiftung Stern received €740,000 for the victims, and Gruner + Jahr also lent support through the sale of the “Stern” special titled “Flut”. This is a considerable amount and proves the enormous response the disaster triggered.

What was the money used for?

Right after the disaster, the money was, above all, given to organizations—for example soup kitchens—that ensured the survival of the people impacted. It was important to provide quick and non-bureaucratic assistance. For example, €5,000 was given to Lucas Bornschlegl. The 30-year-old together with the fire brigade in the Ahr Valley built an entire camp with relief offers for flood victims on the former campground in Ahrweiler together with helpers and residents. They handed out up to 1,200 meals per day, and founded an association named Ahrche.

What long-term projects are supported by Stiftung Stern to continue helping people one year after the floods?

In addition to the short-term help for people in need, the donations for the flood victims were also used to help with reconstruction as quickly as possible: In Wuppertal, the roof of a home for young people of the Sozialtherapeutische Kinder- und Jugendarbeit e.V. had collapsed. The Lebenshilfe in Sinzig, where twelve people with disabilities lost their lives due to the flooding, is also getting support. The Calvarienberg monastery was converted into a temporary home for kindergarten and school children. A group of refugees, the “Syrian Volunteers in Germany”, has been helping in the Ahr Valley for months and also receives support from Stiftung Stern. The foundation is also funding projects that offer people a bit of everyday life and hope amidst all the devastation, for example a temporary gymnasium for school and club sports, because many sports venues were destroyed. Many children and young people were traumatized by the floods. They experience the fear over and over again whenever there’s heavy rainfall. Stiftung Stern is funding mobile youth centers in construction and circus trailers that are taken care of by social education workers, as well as holiday recreation camps in order for children and young people to have places where they feel safe and that they can look forward to.

Based on what criteria is donation money paid out to the organizations’ projects?

Not all of the donation money was paid out right away in 2021 because Stiftung Stern carefully examines its partners on site: What does the state pay? Where are insurance companies paying for the damages? And where can the foundation help? Stiftung Stern exclusively supports nonprofit organizations and no individuals. A long-term project, for example, will launch after the summer holidays in August in Eschweiler, one of the poorest communities in Germany. There, too, many children and young people are traumatized, but the city’s funds fall short and cannot support all of them. Therefore, Stiftung Stern is funding a school psychologist for the next three years.

Has the support of the flooding victims now come to an end?

No, it will take years for bridges and houses to be rebuilt, and people in the flooded areas will suffer from the mental and emotional trauma for a long time to come. More support is absolutely welcome!