16 TOOLS FOR LIFE HEROs run for the "Donations instead of gifts" Christmas campaign 2014.

In the beginning of 2014 the foundation started the TOOLS FOR LIFE HEROs 2014 initiative. It is aimed at our “Next door heroes” – those people around us who stick up for others in need and against grievances. As these people are mostly acting humbly in the background without the public eye noticing their engagement, TOOLS FOR LIFE asked all employees at ROTHENBERGER AG worldwide for their support to find the secret heroes.

16 candidates from all over the world were submitted - and every engagement is as impressive as the other. The HEROs 2014 are:

1. Natalie Seeber
Natalie Seeber fights for her little daughter who suffers a severe heart defect called pulmonary hypertension. As there is no cure for it, intense care as well as an special and expensive medical assistance is necessary. Natalie Seeber is supported by the German Kinderherz e.V. foundation. The organisation is dedicated to achieve the best care for all children with heart conditions. Every child with a congenital or acquired heart defect should be able to lead a care-free life!
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Werkzeuge, DE

2. Claudia von Papenhausen
"Lernen dürfen e.V." is a nonprofit association that builds schools in villages in Burkina Faso. The association works together with the self-help organization UNTAANI and the villagers.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Werkzeuge, DE

3. Wolfgang Hafner & Team
Wolfgang Hafner and his team of the nonprofit association Wassertropfen Kork e.V. (water drop) raise funds for the reconstruction of a therapy pool for handicapped especially epileptic children.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Deutschland, DE

4. Father Antonios Papanikolaou, Ark of the World
The “Ark of the World” takes care of children that have been experiencing abandonment, racism and social exclusion on daily basis in one of the most downgraded regions of Athens, the “Platonos” Academy. Founded in 1998 by Father Antonios Papanikolaou (26 years old at the time) it strives to constitute a point of care, support and hope for a prosperous future of these children, the children of “another” Athens.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Greece

5. Lantegi Batuak
Lantegi Batuak is a non-profit organisation whose aim is to promote and achieve social integration and employment for people with disabilities.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Spain

6. Erzsébet Czoczek
Erzsébet Czoczek, a retired secondary school teacher from Budapest, is called „angel” by her colleagues. After her retirement, she has been dedicating her life to elderly people in need and to young children with severe burns. Amongst other things she volunteered in a hospital treating these children.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Hungary

7. Silvia Pacente
Silvia supports actively the World Mission at Baptist Church and organises seasons sales of postcard painted by armless and legless painters three times a year; She also raises funds for homeless children and elderly people, the treatment of drug addicts and destitute community people inlands from São Paulo.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Brazil

8. Gerson Marins Jr.
Gerson serves voluntary work in his Baptist congregation (www.ibam.com.br). He coaches broken couples and families; helps at a church owned home for recovery of ex-inmates and with the Christmas soup kitchen for the homeless at the Pelourinho zone.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Brazil

9. Michael Dauber
Michael Dauber stands out due to his indefatigable commitment for the volunteer fire brigade in Kelkheim-Fischbach.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Werkzeuge, DE

10. Antonia Pinheiro
Antonia participates in the Church’s fraternity group putting together basic food baskets for distribution amongst institutions. Additionally she sponsors a child every Christmas with clothing, shoes and toys.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Brazil

11. Rogério Pechi
His family organizes the Christmas collection of kits with foods, clothing and toys that are delivered to an Orphan Home on Christmas day by “Santa Claus” impersonated by Rogério.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Brazil

12. Gustavo M. de Almeida
Gustavo is one of the volunteers maintaining a soup kitchen for homeless people. Also he helps organizing an indoor football tournament for children every 23rd of April (Saint George’s day). The admission fee is two cans of dried milk or five kg of non-perishables). A nursing home and a daycentre are chosen to receive what is collected in the event.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Brazil

13. ROTHENBERGER Brazil
RO Brazil is organizing, with its team, the collection of non-perishables for the nursing home of the city of Diadema. The collected items will be given early in next May.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Brazil

14. Mehmet Terzioglu
Mehmet Terzioglu (68) is very special colleague in our ROTHENBERGER Team. He has been supporting his hometown Inebolu for many years by restoring the historical houses that were built by the Romans. He is a very talented and experienced craftsman working for free to conserve these historical buildings and at the same time to help needy families to improve their housing situation.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Turkey

15. RoSpi team Germany
Since 2002 ROTHENBERGER Werkzeuge Produktion GmbH in Germany has been supported by the RoSpi team - handicapped workers who assemble the ROTHENBERGER RoSpi and RoPump. They stand for reliability, quality and perfection in their work. Over the last 12 years they assembled more than 150.000 RoSpi and 250.000 RoPump.
Submitted by ROTHENBERGER Produktion GmbH, Germany

16. Stephan Müller
Stephan Müller has been working as QA manager Service Aftersales for ROTHENBERGER for 14 years. He is a hard-working, commited and focused colleague who serves the ROTHENBERGER clients worldwide perfectly and always strikes the right note even with irritated or discontented clients. He's a great team player and also an employee every supervisor can only wish for.

More about the TOOLS FOR LIFE HEROs 2014 initiative under: Project HERO 2014

Go back