Ascendum donates to Child Protection Center Salzburg

22.12.2020

SALZBURG. Ascendum is grateful that it is possible to donate to a project funded by Austria´s biggest charity “Licht ins Dunkel” even in a year 2020 that is highly influenced by the Coronavirus.

With pride Ascendum donates € 6.000 to the project “Therapeutic help for children who have experienced violence” at the Child Protection Center Salzburg. Ascendum as a supporter wants to use the strength of the construction industry to protect the weakest in our society. The child protection center serves primarily as an aid center for protection and help in the event of abuse and violence in crisis situations.

Especially now! Since the beginning of the corona crisis in March 2020, our society has been in an exceptional situation. Home office and home schooling are new challenges for many families. The fact that cases of domestic violence have increased since then is no longer surprising.
“Chrildren are the most valuable members of our society. Especially now in times of crisis, ASCENDUM uses the strength of the construction industry and supports our weakest ”, explains Ascendum Managing Director Dr. Thomas Schmitz. Against all expectations in the beginning of the corona crisis, Ascendum Baumaschinen Österreich GmbH was able to achieve positive financial results in the end of 2020. The financial support of charitable projects is currently needed more than ever, therefore it was a simple decision to donate.

The Salzburg Child Protection Center has been making a decisive contribution since 1987 and acts independently, non-partisan and non-denominational. The declared aim is to secure, maintain or restore the best interests of children. Many children of the families who find refuge in the Salzburg women’s shelter receive the necessary care here after traumatic experiences such as sexual abuse or violence.
The Salzburg Child Protection Center helps quickly, anonymously and free of charge. The offers include advice on the phone or by email, therapy, therapeutic children’s groups, psychological advice in schools, parent and family advice, lectures and seminars as well as projects on violence and abuse prevention.

The counseling and therapy facility with a focus on violence against minors looks after around 1,000 people per year from all over the state of Salzburg. In addition to the “classic” forms of violence against children such as sexual violence, physical violence, emotional violence and gross neglect, another form of violence is unfortunately becoming increasingly important: The violence witnessed. One speaks of witnessed violence when children are not directly affected by violence, but have to witness it as “eye or ear witnesses”. Experienced violence occurs very often in the family environment.

Domestic violence has increased sharply due to the effects of the Corona crisis and the additional burdens in the lockdown phases. … and with it the number of underage victims. The child protection center has created a therapeutic concept for this target group in order to actively support the affected children in coming to terms with what they have experienced. The work is carried out with discussions with parents, in both group and individual settings.
ASCENDUM Baumaschinen Österreich GmbH is glad to be a strong supporter of this current project.

Mag. Peter Trattner, Managing Director of the Child Protection Center and Dr. Thomas Schmitz Managing Director of Ascendum Baumaschinen Österreich GmbH exchanging the donation check of € 6.000.