Marbach donates to psychological aid in Ukraine. 10,000 euros becomes 80,000 euros for supporting traumatized children and young people.

We are making a Christmas donation to a social cause once again this year. This year's support will go entirely to an international aid project. Under the motto “Donations instead of gifts,” Marbach donated 10,000 euros to the project “Psychological help for children in Ukraine” run by the aid organization Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V.

Considering the ongoing dramatic consequences of the war on the Ukrainian population, especially for children and young people, we have made a conscious decision to dedicate the entire donation amount to this project. This year's donation marks our tenth consecutive Christmas donation to Help, highlighting our commitment to social projects and the organization's work.

Peter Marbach: "What makes me particularly happy about this year's donation is that the German Foreign Office considers the Help project supported by Marbach to be particularly worthy of support. This increases the impact of the donation eightfold. In concrete terms, this means that 10,000 euros becomes 80,000 euros in aid money."

Help for traumatized children and their families
The war in Ukraine has displaced many families and left deep psychological scars. Children and young people are especially affected by fears, emotional overload, and post-traumatic symptoms.

The project supported by us addresses this issue: in the western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod, Help has been offering individual and group psychological therapy, art and play therapy, and mobile counseling services since 2023. In addition, local professionals and support staff are being trained in initial psychological support and basic psychosocial care in order to strengthen local care in the long term. Help also provides psychological first aid via a hotline in other regions of Ukraine, providing rapid support for children and families affected by war trauma, even close to the front line.

More than 2,000 people have already received help this way. This year's donation from Marbach will directly support around 700 children and young people, as well as indirectly support around 3,000 others, including parents, teachers, and caregivers.

Bianca Kaltschmitt, Deputy Secretary General of Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V.: "The need for psychological support in Ukraine is enormous. Many children are carrying heavy emotional burdens. Marbach's donation enables us to offer them safe spaces, expert support, and new stability. Especially in times of dramatic declines in project funding from public donors coupled with increased humanitarian needs, it is particularly important for us to have Marbach at our side for ten years now."

The project strengthens the emotional well-being and social participation of affected children and young people. Involving and training of local professionals will strengthen psychosocial care in the long term. This will create a lasting support network that will continue to have an impact beyond the duration of the project.

Donation handover in Heilbronn
The official donation handover took place on December 5, 2025, at Marbach in Heilbronn. Peter Marbach presented the donation check to Bianca Kaltschmitt from Help. She expressed her heartfelt thanks: “On behalf of Help and the children in Ukraine, I would like to thank Marbach for its continued support. The ongoing Christmas donations demonstrate the trust that Marbach places in our work, and we are particularly delighted about this tenth donation in a row.”

About Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V.
Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V., is a humanitarian aid organization based in Bonn (Germany). Help was founded in 1981. Help's work focuses on worldwide emergency and disaster relief as well as long-term development aid and reconstruction projects. Help is committed to helping people who are in need as a result of disasters, persecution, or other causes. Based on the principle of "helping people to help themselves", Help supports the efforts of those affected to improve their living conditions through their own efforts.

More information about Help: Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe: Help that keeps growing