20 years of Cologne Citizens' Foundation: An evening full of commitment and inspiration!

20 years of Cologne Citizens' Foundation: An evening full of commitment and inspiration!

Köln, Deutschland - A festival of the community and commitment: The Cologne Citizens 'Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary in the Ehrenfeld (Büze) Citizens' Center on June 17 of this year. Around 100 guests from civil society, politics and culture gathered to duly appreciate this special occasion. Mayor Dr. Ralf Heinen opened the event with a warm greeting, followed by congratulations by Hubert Schramm, representative of the alliance of the citizens' foundations of Germany.

The evening was characterized by lively discussions about the role of the role of civic Engagement in times of increasingly scarce public funds. A panel discussion with prominent discussants such as Jasmin Caspary from the Allenweltshaus Cologne, Karolin Hüner from the Cologne volunteer agency, Elisabeth Sandow, deputy district mayor of Rodenkirchen, and Dr. Ulrich Soénius from the Cologne foundations association highlighted topics such as municipal responsibilities and the acquisition of volunteers. The conversation was moderated by Simone Krost from the RTL Foundation - we help children e.V.

A look at the community foundation and its projects

The Cologne community foundation is particularly committed to local concerns and promotes numerous non -profit projects. Among them include innovative initiatives such as "donkey ear" and "op zack för Pänz", which deal with education and integration. Citizens' foundations in Germany, as the Cologne community foundation also represents, are designed to promote community commitment and to react to the social challenges that can often not be covered by state funds. A look at [active-buergerschaft.de] (https://www.active-buergerschaft.de/buergerstiftungen/modell-buerger Foundation/) shows that such foundations cover a wide range of funding areas, including education, culture and environment.

With around 400 citizens' foundations in Germany, which took its in Gütersloh and Hanover in early 1996, these initiatives show how important civic engagement is in local regions. The Cologne Citizens' Foundation is a prime example of how communities can organize autonomously and develop projects independently. The foundation is characterized by its independence and its diverse funding purposes, as Buergerstiftung-freising.de emphasizes.

an unforgettable evening and the view of the future

The solemn evening was made by musical contributions from the youth pop choir of the "Junge City of Cologne" under the direction of Lisa Maier and a section from the play "Heimat a.T." enriched by the Casamax Theater. Former chairs such as Ludwig Arentz and Sven Johannsen reflected on the foundation and development of the foundation and remembered the beginnings 20 years ago when the community foundation was launched on June 17, 2005 by Cologne agenda e.V.

Martin Müller, the chairman of the community foundation, emphasized the crucial role of volunteers and support partners during his speech. With a personal story about a "commitment deal" with his boss, he showed how important it is to gain support for civic engagement. The evening ended with a buffet and lively conversations under the motto: "20 Years Cologne Citizens' Foundation - that's just the beginning." This inspiring exchange underlines the unbroken commitment of the community foundation to continue to be active as a central voice for local volunteering and to move something together with the community.