A new home for refugees

Now that the families live in their flats, the Mayor of Aalen Frederick Bruetting, Dr Jochen Kress, President of the MAPAL Group, and the Chairman of the Works Council of MAPAL in Aalen, Uwe Homann, welcomed the new citizens. For a town with 70,000 inhabitants, it is a big task to find enough accommodation for the many refugees, said Bruetting: "We can only manage this with the commitment of helpful and responsible citizens and companies". He therefore thanked MAPAL and especially Dr Dieter Kress "for the idea of offering us this house." He turned to the Ukrainian families with the wish: "Feel at home here, even though the present situation is certainly not easy for you."

Dr Jochen Kress was happy to meet the families personally: "I hope you feel comfortable here and we will be happy to support you if you need anything. We keep our fingers crossed that you will be able to return home soon." The housing allowance that MAPAL receives for the accommodation of the families will be donated by the company. 

The Ukrainian Olga thanked the Municipality of Aalen and the Kress family on behalf of her fellow residents for their commitment: "You have a big heart and do an incredible amount for us. We are very grateful to you for helping us."

MAPAL's guest house is normally reserved for employees who work at one of the company's international locations and come to the main plant in Aalen for a certain period of time. Now it is being kept free for Ukrainian refugees until further notice. MAPAL wants to send a signal of solidarity with Ukraine. Dr Jochen Kress: "We are a global company. People from all over the world work at MAPAL. Tolerance and respect for each other are part of our company culture. Different nationalities, cultures and points of view are an enrichment for us all." 

MAPAL employees are also involved in the Kress family's commitment and want to help look after the six Ukrainian families. At the request of Dr Dieter Kress, the works council has taken on a kind of sponsorship for the residents of the guest house and is supporting the commitment of the workforce in coordination with the social welfare office of the city of Aalen.