Hello Helping Hands: A Month of Meaningful Encounters

Ten projects, countless encounters, and many helping hands: In July, NürnbergMesse launched its first company-wide Corporate Volunteering Month. Together with the non-profit organization TÜREN ÖFFNEN, employees participated in social and environmental projects across the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region during working hours. What remains are not only visible results within the supported organizations and projects, but above all personal encounters, new perspectives, and experiences whose impact will continue to be felt long after the month has ended.

Written by Johanna Köhler

Group of people standing on lawn in front of tents posing for group photo.

It is often the small moments that stay with us the longest. A shared lunch with kindergarten children. A grateful look at a finish line. A conversation that works effortlessly despite language barriers. Or the satisfying feeling of having made a visible difference at the end of the day.

These were exactly the kinds of moments at the heart of our first Corporate Volunteering Month.Together with the intermediary organization TÜREN ÖFFNEN, we carried out ten different projects throughout the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region in July. The activities ranged from social projects involving children, people with disabilities, and senior citizens to practical assignments in community organizations and environmental conservation initiatives. For example, our employees supported social institutions during events and worked alongside the Bund Naturschutz and other partners to help preserve valuable natural habitats.

The goal was not only to lend a hand. It was also about contributing time, attention, and support where it was needed most while gaining new perspectives along the way.

A successful premiere

From the outset, employees were given the opportunity to contribute to social and environmental projects during working hours while supporting local organizations in the region. “Our goal as a project team was to make the values we live and communicate internally at NürnbergMesse visible externally as well,” says Franziska Meichner from the NürnbergMesse project team. “At the same time, we wanted to support people and organizations that rely on help, donations, or volunteer engagement.” She was particularly impressed by the commitment shown by employees: “Even when not everything went perfectly in the planning or organization of some projects, the teams on site always made the best of the situation and approached the tasks with great dedication.”

Many projects were fully booked within a very short period of time. Even more important, however, was the feedback from participants. Numerous colleagues expressed during the month that they would gladly participate again if the initiative were repeated. For the project team, this was a clear indication that the activities not only benefited the supported organizations, but also left a lasting impression on employees themselves.

A group of adults and children in front of an animal enclosure at the zoo; several of them are carrying backpacks. — Encounters emerge naturally when people spend time together.

Encounters that leave a lasting impression

The experiences of participants highlight just how diverse the Corporate Volunteering Month was. Katharina Ostertag, Manager Corporate Communications at NürnbergMesse, accompanied an integration class from Bartholomäus School on an excursion to Nuremberg Zoo. She was particularly impressed by how well the children got along with one another: “What I remember most is how open and warm-hearted the children were. Despite language barriers, they helped one another and translated for each other so that nobody was left out. I found that incredibly inspiring.” The experience showed how naturally meaningful connections can emerge when people spend time together and share experiences.

A group stands in front of red playground equipment inside a kindergarten. — Shared experiences often leave the strongest impression on everyone involved.

Creating something lasting together

Other projects focused primarily on hands-on support. Marcel Kreß, Head of Customer Success Guest Events at NürnbergMesse, took part in a painting project at St. Martin Kindergarten. By the end of the day, the improvements were clearly visible. Yet what stayed with him most was something else: “What I took away from this day was how much impact collective engagement can have. Of course, it was rewarding to see how the newly designed rooms transformed the kindergarten. But what impressed me even more was the joy it created for the children, parents, and the local team.” One particularly memorable moment was sharing lunch with the children. Their openness and warmth demonstrated how even a single day can make a meaningful difference.

Team spirit and a change of perspective

The “Run & Roll” project at the B2Runevent had a completely different character. Together with employees from PUMA, NürnbergMesse colleagues supported participants from the Boxdorf Workshop along the approximately six-kilometer route. The focus was on connection, teamwork, and the shared experience of completing the course together.

For René Dietrich, Sales Manager at NürnbergMesse, the day’s significance lay primarily in the perspective it offered: “The experience helped put things back into perspective. Some everyday problems suddenly seemed much less important. Seeing how much joy and enthusiasm the participants experienced, and how much gratitude they expressed, was the most valuable part of the day for me.” Experiences like these make it clear that social engagement is much more than a one-time act of support. Often, it creates memories and insights that remain long afterward.

A group with race numbers and wheelchairs gathers before the start of the B2Run. — Sometimes the greatest impact comes when people share part of the journey together.

More than a single day of volunteering

This lasting impact is something TÜREN ÖFFNEN has observed repeatedly while implementing and supporting the project together with NürnbergMesse. “Alongside the direct social and environmental impact, a day like this always provides participants with an opportunity to gain insight into unfamiliar living and working environments and to take valuable inspiration back into their own lives and work,” explain Petra Molzahn and Frank Braun from the TÜREN ÖFFNEN project management team. “The realization of how much good can be achieved in just one day usually stays with participants for a long time.” At the same time, participating organizations benefit in very practical ways. Projects can be completed that often lack sufficient time, personnel, or funding in everyday operations.

Engagement with a future

For more than 20 years, TÜREN ÖFFNEN has been facilitating partnerships between companies and non-profit organizations throughout the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. According to the organization’s leadership, a clear shift has become visible: “For companies, corporate volunteering is a perfect opportunity to combine sustainability goals with a desire to create local impact,” say Molzahn and Braun. In addition, days like these often prove more effective for team building than many traditional formats and have been shown to strengthen motivation and team cohesion.

Our first Corporate Volunteering Month demonstrated the tremendous potential of collective engagement. Amid freshly painted group rooms, zoo visits, running events, and social encounters, something emerged that cannot be measured in working hours: the awareness that together, people can make a difference.

And sometimes, social engagement begins exactly there – with a single day on which people invest their time and commitment and, in return, receive something valuable themselves.

Author

Johanna Köhler

Online Editing // PR Trainee