Lending a helping hand to Fruchtalarm

As we carry on with our Social Day initiative in 2023, smartclippers are continuing to find creative and engaging ways to give back to their communities. Recently, Celina Brinkmeier and Anne Lusczyk used their Social Day to help enrich and bring joy to the lives of some very deserving children.

The two smartclippers volunteered together at Fruchtalarm — a non-profit organisation that travels all over Germany with a mobile juice bar for children with cancer in hospitals and hospices. The volunteers mix fruit juices with the children to provide entertainment, snacks, and, most importantly — fun. Not only does the programme provide a delicious distraction with their juice mixing, but they also create and distribute “courage beads.” 

One of the initiatives Fruchtalarm helps support is the German Cancer Foundation, which aims to provide all children with cancer with specific “courage beads.” The charity ensures that children receive a bead for each procedure they complete, from a simple thumb prick to a round of chemo. Eventually, the patients will receive enough beads to create their own unique bravery necklace. 

Celina and Anne had the task of creating “orange” bravery beads that would be handed out as a surprise when the juice bar made its next visits to the hospitals. Not only were they able to craft over 400 fruity bravery beads, but they also gained insight into the lives of the organisation’s full-time helpers and caregivers. “It was a very emotional day,” explained Anne, “talking to the volunteers and full-time helpers and gaining insight into their everyday life gives you a lot to think about.” The ladies expressed how good it felt to know that they were doing something worthwhile — “even if it’s just little beads made of fimo paste.” Thanks to the help of Anne and Celina, there are currently children out there receiving little orange-shaped beads, to reward them for their perseverance and remind them of their bravery.

Celina and Anne took time to share their experience with their fellow smartclippers, encouraging them to use their Social Days as soon as possible, and even signed up to continue volunteering with Fruchtalarm in the future. We look forward to hearing more stories about how our smartclip community decides to help those in need, give back to their communities, and continue to make a difference where it’s most needed.