Philanthropy News

2022–2023 AWC Philanthropy Award

The AWC Board is delighted to announce that the Philanthropy award for 2022–2023 is going to Goldschmidt’s Music Academy, a social and musical beacon that, through free music lessons and lending instruments, helps vulnerable children to become whole, harmonious and capable people.

  • 250 students aged 6/7–19 years receive weekly lessons each year, including 50 Ukrainian children; most students participate for several years, and some later return as instructors.
  • 26 dedicated teachers handle the teaching in a wide range of instruments, including piano, violin, cello, flute, drums and a Turkish instrument called a saz.
  • There is an annual camp school in a high school/secondary school in Tisvilde.

 

2023 Philanthropy Award presented

On 2 October, AWC’s Honorary President, Sherry Leventhal presented Henrik Goldschmidt with a certificate, marking AWC Denmark’s donation of DKK 10,000 to Goldschmidts Musikakademi as our 2023 Philanthropy Award. The Academy, which provides free music lessons (and instruments) to poor and vulnerable children, will devote the money to repair and maintenance of its pianos.

In addition to the money, AWC was glad to donate a clarinet (given to us by VP Kris Harper) for the students to use.Founder Henrik Goldschmidt gave Sherry, and AWC Board officers Mary Stewart Burgher and Jonelle Carter Lemcke, a tour to the beautiful premises of the Academy. He hosted them to coffee and cake, as well as presenting all with copies of his father’s memoir about escaping from Denmark to Sweden in October 1943

AWC Philanthropy Awards – 2021 winners and thanks from a recipient

The AWC Denmark Board voted unanimously to give DKK 5,000 each to two projects:

  • a trap-neuter-release (TNR) scheme for the feral cats living on the grounds of Kofoeds Skole in Copenhagen; and

  • the program to feed the schoolchildren at and orphans housed by Vision People in Mission, in Nairobi, Kenya.

For the TNR scheme, AWC will pay the bills of the veterinarian selected to neuter or otherwise treat the cats, which students at the school care for and enjoy interacting with. The student leading the project is Nadina E. Stryhn, who sent AWC the following note (translation supplied) and photos of the TNR scheme in action.
Jeg vil gerne sige tak til jeres organisation for jeres hjælp. En kæmpe byrde er blevet taget af mine skuldre, og jeg er så uendeligt glad for endelig at kunne gøre det, der skal til, for at kattene kan leve et godt liv.
At få kuld efter kuld af killinger er meget hårdt for en hunkat, og hendes liv bliver ofte forkortet. Udover det vokser bestanden af katte til et antal, der er fuldstændig uoverskueligt. Førhen fandt jeg ofte syge killinger, jeg selv skulle opflaske og formidle videre til en organisation, der ville tage imod dem. Et kæmpe arbejde, der tog alt min energi.

Men med jeres uvurderlige hjælp kan jeg nu indfange og neutralisere vores katte, så de kan få et trygt liv, og bestanden kan blive på et håndterligt niveau.

Vores første fælde er sat op med henblik på at fange vores lille hunkat ‘Nefertiti’ og hendes to killinger. Det bliver fantastisk endelig at kunne gøre det! Jeg glæder mig til at opdatere jer om mine fremskridt. Af hjertet tusind, tusind tak.


Translation:

I would like to thank your organization for your help. A huge burden has been taken off my shoulders and I am so infinitely happy to finally be able to do what it takes for the cats to live a good life.
Having litter after litter of kittens is very hard for a female cat and often shortens her life. In addition, the population of cats is growing to a number that is completely unmanageable. In the past, I often found sick kittens that I had to bottle up and pass on to an organization that would accept them. A huge job that took all my energy. But with your invaluable help, I can now capture and neuter our cats, so they can have a safe life and the stock can stay at a manageable level. Our first trap is set up to catch our little female Nefertiti and her two kittens. It will be great to finally be able to do that! I look forward to updating you on my progress. From my heart a thousand, a thousand thanks.

Philanthropy Award - Recipients from the last ten years

  • Landsforeningen Premature Vilkår (LPV received AWC’s Philanthropy Award for for their outstanding work in supporting families who experience prematurity. Look Good…Feel Better (courses for women who are in out-patient treatment for cancer)
  • KRIS Kristen Rådgivning for Incestofre og Seksuelt misbrugte www.kris-dk.dk
  • Dansk Kvindesamfund Krisecenter i Vodroffsvej www.dkkrisecenter.dk
  • Heart Pillow Project for women with breast surgery www.heartpillow.dk
  • Blågårds Kirke “Meals for the Needy”
  • Muhabet (Meeting place for immigrants and refugees with psychological problems www.muhabet.dk
  • Drys Ind , the oldest day center in Denmark www.drysind.dk
  • Support Group for Late Brain-Damaged Children
  • Alexandra Collegium , for single mothers in education programs
  • Hjernesagen Copenhagen & Frederiksberg, Afasi Center  www.hjernesagen.dk
  • Volunteer Center, Vedbæk, installing smoke alarms for elderly people’s homes
  • SIV Children’s Home in Farum
  • SOVI, for autistic people www.sovi.dk
  • Danish Council of Alcohol & Addiction DCAA
  • Handicap OL
  • Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims
  • School for the Deaf

If you would like to participate in our philanthropy activities contact Joan Oppenheim at philanthropy@awcdenmark.org.


     
   
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