2023-11-04 06:25:27
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From winter boots to flower vases – the “Colorful Box” offers a really colorful range. In the picture: Silke Reinhard, Melissa Betz, Henning Berz (from left). © Greetings
The joint donation warehouse of AK Willkommen and the Kolping family has been collecting donated items of all kinds for a year and passing them on for a small fee.
Seligenstadt – “Welcome, we are open” is written in curved letters on a small board in front of the “Bunten Kiste” in Seligenstadt. The donation warehouse has been welcoming customers for a year now and offers them a large selection of everyday items, clothing and small furniture.
The “Bunte Kiste” lives up to its name with its diverse offering. All items that can be purchased with a donation of up to five euros are also donations. “We give people the opportunity to put things they no longer need back into the cycle before they go moldy in the basement,” explains Henning Berz, one of the founders of the “Bunten Kiste” and chairman of the “Welcome to Seligenstadt” working group.
Customers praise the appreciative atmosphere
On the other hand, customers would have the opportunity to buy everyday items for little money. “If you are doing well yourself, then you have to give something back to society,” explains Berz, explaining his motivation. For this reason, donations are passed on to non-profit organizations unless they are used to cover ongoing costs.
For a year now, customers in the “Bunten Kiste” have been warmly welcomed not only by the small board on the door, but especially by the volunteers: “Many customers praise the appreciative atmosphere in the “Bunten Kiste” – we really are here A lot of heart and soul went into it,” explains Curine Lahmer, one of the helpers.
So it’s no wonder that customers are already waiting at the door every day when the “Bunte Kiste” opens. The store is apparently well received and the customers are just as colorful as the product range: “Everyone should shop here,” emphasizes Berz. Both those in need and people who care about sustainability are welcome. Two armchairs in a corner invite you to linger and chat. “Customers have even played chess together here,” says Berz.
There was a big crowd right from the start
Ever since the “Bunte Kiste” opened its doors for the first time, there has been a huge rush. Word of the concept has now spread, so that even more people come by regularly. The same applies to donations: every day the helpers receive boxes of donations, sort them and then put them on the shelves. “What is that?” the helpers ask themselves when they unpack a more unusual donation. “It doesn’t matter what we put on the shelf, there is a lid for every pot,” so there are no slow sellers, says Berz.
The total of around 60 helpers all work on a voluntary basis. “It’s just nice to come here every time,” says helper Melissa Betz. They are particularly motivated by exchanging ideas with customers and supporting a sustainable concept.
Seligenstadt’s “Bunte Kiste” has grown steadily
Over the past year, the helpers have become increasingly attuned to each other, explains Berz. “They now agree, for example, on how to decorate the shop window,” he adds. But he also learned from the year and was able to continually improve the “Bunte Kiste”. “She just grew, grew and grew.”
The “Colorful Box” was created from the former clothing box of the Seligenstadt Kolping family and the former collection of the Welcome to Seligenstadt working group. They came together in the new premises and, with the support of the landlord, created a comfortable meeting place out of an empty hall with concrete floors. To celebrate the one-year anniversary, a small reception will take place on Saturday, November 4th, from 10 a.m. in front of the “Bunten Kiste”, Steinheimer Straße 68. (From Lucy Greetings)
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