SERIES: Our employees are as diverse as their volunteer activities

"Connecting People and Improving Lives " is an important part of DHL Express' mission statement and volunteering is an essential part of the Express culture. Volunteers at Express is a project in which colleagues from all over the world who work at DHL Express can make their volunteer work visible to all employees. It doesn't matter whether they help out at charitable organizations, support projects and initiatives or use their passion to help others and pass it on to them. In 2023, 78,866 hours were logged in this way.

Here at the LEJ Hub, we also have many dedicated employees who take the time to make a small difference to the lives of others. Stephan is one of them. Twice a week, he trains the so-called Minis, children aged four to seven, at a local handball club, the Regis Breitlingen e.V. sports club. "Through sport, they learn to work together towards a goal, increase their physical strength and endurance and build team spirit," he says, summarizing his experience as a coach.

"Especially in a digital age like the one we live in, physical exercise is a very important part of development," says Stephan, who is himself the father of a child of that age. "I've noticed that young people in particular are spending more and more time in front of screens in the digital world. Handball therefore provides a good balance."

Stephan has been a volunteer at the club for two years now. Originally, he was just looking for a physical activity for his son Riley and kept accompanying him to training sessions. As the club had a shortage of coaches, he agreed to help out himself and is now firmly integrated into the team. He is already planning to expand his coaching activities and will soon be coaching the E-Youth team, which consists of children up to the age of twelve.

Nevertheless, his voluntary work is not without its hurdles: "One of the biggest challenges for me is balancing my day-to-day work with family life and volunteering." Stephan has been working in the Network Tracing department at the LEJ Hub since 2011, where he is responsible for monitoring, tracking and redirecting consignments. "However, where there is a will to do good, there is always a way to realize it. The main thing is to be open to new experiences and to get involved."

The volunteer work at the LEJ Hub Leipzig is as diverse as the employees themselves. Whether a team gets together to tidy up a local park and remove rubbish or employees visit the local animal shelter every day after work to help out with feeding and caring for animals, a small gesture and a little time invested can make a big difference.

However, employees not only can share their own initiatives, but also to take part in those organized by the DHL Leipzig Hub. You can find out exactly what is being done to support the region in the second part of this series.