Supporting Flood Recovery Efforts in Germany
August 13, 2021 by Jeff Nolan
Recently, I received a forwarded note from one of our employees in Germany who is volunteering in the Ahr Valley where flooding has devastated entire towns. I was aware of the floods but the images he shared brought back recent memories of last summer’s terrifying California wildfires. It reminded me that in times like these, it is so important that we support one another.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the many Coherent employees and their families, our partners and their families, and all who have been affected in Germany and across the European Union by this tragedy.
Flooding is particularly devastating — the damage includes not only significant structural damage to homes and businesses but also to infrastructure. It will be months before basic services are restored and years before all that has been destroyed can be replaced.
The urgent need for help
Volunteers are driving to the region, parking, and walking in to help wherever they can. It’s manual labor that involves getting dirty to clean out oily mud and water from homes, clear roadways, and move trash and debris without the aid of heavy machinery. It is hard physical work done in the worst of conditions made all the worse by the human suffering that cannot be avoided.
The needs are significant and for those who cannot volunteer, consider donating to support the cleanup effort, provide housing, ensure freshwater supplies, provide food, and help meet the long-term needs that will persist beyond the recovery efforts. The German Red Cross has a specific fund for recovery efforts. Germany’s Relief Coalition also has a specific fund for emergency aid.
