FIEGE once again awards prize for volunteering commitment to employees

Exemplary commitment: This year, the logistics service provider FIEGE has once again presented the FIEGE Volunteer Award to five employees. The prize, established by the company-owned Josef Fiege Foundation, honours employees who, in addition to their jobs, are particularly committed to social or environmental causes. The aim of the prize is to raise the profile of voluntary work within the company, to honour it and to further promote it.

Felix Fiege, who has been running the fifth-generation, 150-year-old family business with his cousin, Jens Fiege, says: “Many of our 22,000 colleagues worldwide are committed to helping their fellow human beings or our planet by getting involved in associations, social projects and charitable initiatives. This commitment is particularly valuable in today's times because it is an important glue for our society and holds it together.” Jens Fiege adds: “We know that what our colleagues do in their free time is anything but a matter of course. With the FIEGE Volunteer Award, we want to help give them and their commitment the attention and recognition they deserve. We are very proud that so many people work in our family business who volunteer their time to good causes.”

This year's first prize worth 1,000 euros went to Brandi Bridges. Born in the US, she is a trainer at the FIEGE Academy, the company's own platform for learning and development. For almost ten years, the 42-year-old has been a volunteer at the Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Integrationsarbeit in Herne e.V. (GFI), which promotes the coming together of all cultures through integrative projects - especially for children and young people. Bridges says: “I came to Germany through an exchange program when I was 18. I had a lot of great people around me back then who made the transition from my birthplace Hawaii to the Ruhr area easier. That's why it's natural for me to now do my bit to offer other people the same opportunities. As our association has recently had its funding cut, we have to rely on other financial support. I am very pleased about the FIEGE Volunteer Award and the opportunity to use the prize for integrative projects in child and youth work.”

In addition to Bridges, four other colleagues shared the second spot and 500 euros each. Julian Bröcheler, Senior Robotics Consultant in Münster, was honored for his commitment to EinDollarBrille e.V. The association aims to provide access to free eye tests and high-quality, affordable glasses for a self-determined life to the more than 950 million people worldwide who cannot afford eyewear. Benedikt Placke, Operations Manager in Ibbenbüren, received the award for his service as local fire chief at the Bohmte volunteer fire department, where he has followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Mareen Diesen, a Corporate Strategy student in Münster, is an advocate for gender equality at the Fempowerment Association e.V. Her work as chairwoman of the board of the network, which campaigns for the empowerment of young women aged 18 to 30 in particular, was also recognized. And Ina Wunder from the FIEGE location in Unna received the Volunteer Award for the crown cap collection campaign, which she has been in charge of organizing for over ten years. To date, over 380 tons of bottle caps have been collected and turned into a total donation of more than 72,000 euros.

The winners were selected by a jury that included Christina Fiege and Annika Fiege, the wives of Felix Fiege and Jens Fiege, as well as the foundation's board of directors. Martina Schlottbom, who together with Kai Alfermann, Christoph Mangelmans and Frank Sievers forms the foundation's board, explains: “This year, we once again had to choose five winners from the many submissions which all would certainly have deserved a special award. In the end, we selected five great projects and are delighted to support the valuable work of our colleagues. We are very grateful for every single submission - a big thank you to all our colleagues who volunteer their time."