They didn't have to ask for long: 28 celebrities from Frankfurt and Rhine-Main followed the call of media manager Bernd Reisig yesterday, December 7, to entertain the homeless with a Christmas goose dinner in the Ratskeller of Frankfurt's Römer. From Lord Mayor and patron Peter Feldmann to actress Radost Bokel and TV chef Mirko Reeh to the director of Hessischer Rundfunk, Manfred Krupp, Eintracht sports director Fredi Bobic and former Lord Mayor Petra Roth: they had their hands full, because around 600 homeless people took advantage of the offer of a cosy and plentiful goose dinner. With this project of his label "helfen helfen" Bernd Reisig celebrates a small jubilee this year: Already for the fifth time he organized the event, with which he wants to give a little joy to people standing at the edge of the society and offer them a change from the often laborious everyday life. "Once again this year, Bernd Reisig is setting an example for tolerance, respect and public spirit - values that should be more self-evident than ever in a cosmopolitan city like Frankfurt, but at the same time need to be exemplified and internalized more and more urgently," noted Mayor Peter Feldmann.
As in previous years, the response to Reisig's invitation was great among the homeless. Christmas goose, red cabbage and dumplings had to be served by the celebrities in two shifts to cope with the rush. City councillor Rosemarie Heilig: "This initiative by Bernd Reisig is unconditionally worth supporting. I have great respect for him for taking on this project every year. It has its heart in the right place." For TV chef Mirko Reeh, supporting the project is also a matter of course: "As a chef in particular, I know how good a warm, nutritious meal can do you. I am therefore pleased that I now have the opportunity to serve one to these needy people."
Actress Radost Bokel was also happy to volunteer for waiter duty. "You can't imagine the conditions these people often have to live in - I'm happy to help give them a few good hours."
As is the case every year, the homeless were also presented with a Christmas gift: the Bundesliga Foundation donated a gift bag with Christmas stollen, a hat and socks, and a fleece blanket. "It is sometimes so easy to bring joy to people and it is always nice to see that our offer is so well received. Unfortunately, we forget far too often that a warm blanket and a hot meal are just not a matter of course for many people in our city," said Bernd Reisig.
For Maria and Hans-Jörg, this is the first time. "An acquaintance told us about the goose dinner and we are glad we went. It was the right thing to do and we felt welcome."
The food was donated by the Scheck-In-Center Frankfurt and prepared by the Grandhotel Hessischer Hof. The Frankfurt am Main Transport Company (VGF) made it possible again this year for all homeless people to travel free of charge by public transport within Frankfurt.
The guests were hosted by 28 prominent helpers. These were, in alphabetical order: Karina Ansos (boss Kempinski Hotel Gravenbruch), Steffen Ball (boss BALLCOM), Jörg Bannach (head of the public order office), Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Bender (ex-Fraport boss), Gerhard Bereswill (Frankfurt police chief), Fredi Bobic (Eintracht Frankfurt sports director), Radost Bokel (actress), Joachim Braun (editor-in-chief of Frankfurter Neue Presse), Nils Bremer (editor-in-chief of Journal Frankfurt), Peter Feldmann (Lord Mayor of Frankfurt), Eddy Hausmann (festival host), Rosemarie Heilig (Frankfurt city councillor), Mike Josef (Frankfurt city councillor), Mick Knauff (stock market expert), Charly Körbel (Eintracht legend), Manfred Krupp (Director of Hessischer Rundfunk), Dieter Müller (former national soccer player), Klaus-Peter Müller (Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Commerzbank), Lars Obendorfer (Best Worscht in Town), Christopher Posch (TV lawyer), Mirko Reeh (TV chef), Bernd Reisig (media manager, talk show host), Robert Restani (head of Frankfurter Sparkasse), Oliver Rohloff (head of Frankfurter Societät), Petra Roth (former mayor of Frankfurt).D. Frankfurt), Johannes Scherer (radio presenter, comedian), Eduard Singer (director Grandhotel Hessischer Hof), Peter Splettstößer (head Scheck-In-Center Frankfurt), Oliver Strank (SPD candidate for the Bundestag).
Numerous sponsors and supporters made the Christmas Goose Dinner possible:
Caritasverband Frankfurt
Diakonie Frankfurt
Frankfurter Verein für soziale Heimstätten
Frankfurter Tafel
Lichtblick aktiv Schwester Sigrid
Social World
Teestube Jona
Frankfurter Volksbank
Deutsche Vermögensberatung (DVAG)
Frankfurter Entsorgungs-Service (FES)
Brother
HIT RADIO FFH
Sparda Bank Hessen
German Football League (DFL) Bundesliga Foundation
Fraport
Grandhotel Hessischer Hof
Scheck-In Center
Frankfurter Sparkasse
BALLCOM GmbH
Hassia
Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt (VGF)
Strothoff International School
WISAG AG
Coca Cola
