Press release
"Gifts from the heart" campaign well underway
PTV's map&guide software assists the humanitarian organisation humedica in distributing Christmas gifts to children in need
Karlsruhe, Germany, 3rd December 2009. "What do you wish for this Christmas?” is probably the most frequently asked question during the holiday season - the time for giving gifts. However, many people in Europe and around the world do not have the means. Since 1979, the team of humedica e.V. has been helping children around the globe who may be suffering or living in poverty. The Christmas campaign "Gifts from the heart" is an essential part of their aid programme. PTV supports the organisation with its route planning software map&guide which enables humedica to improve the process of picking up the gift-filled boxes at the collection points and to plan cost-efficient routes.
There are 736 collection sites in Bavaria. The logistic challenge is to pick up the gift-filled boxes at these collection points and to transport them to humedica's headquarters in Kaufbeuren. PTV supports the organisation by donating a map&guide software package and offering a free training course to a humedica employee. Thomas Lang, responsible for logistics, administration and IT at humedica, reports: "Without attending PTV's summer training course I would not have been able to efficiently use the software tool. Even if it takes quite some time to enter all data, it definitely pays off and significantly improves the effectiveness of our work.”
Thomas Lang planned 79 routes. He then printed the overview maps for the team of voluntary drivers. The control centre informed the collection points about the truck's arrival time on the basis of the itinerary calculated with the route planner. The new tool allowed humedica to collect the gift boxes in record time: eleven trucks needed only nine days.
"Moreover, PTV's logistics specialists helped us to highlight the sites on a digital map in different colours: red for the stops already made and green for the destinations the truck still needs to travel to. As a result, we got a detailed overview of the entire process," says Thomas Lang. "We also appreciated PTV's excellent customer support - all our questions were always answered quickly and precisely."
This year, humedica collected nearly 38,000 boxes full of gifts which will bring joy to so many children who will perhaps get a present for the first time in their lives.
For many years, humedica has been involved in international humanitarian projects aimed at helping children in need: poor and ill children living in orphanages, children's homes and slums as well as street children. This Christmas, "gifts from the heart" will be distributed to boys and girls in Kosovo, Ukraine, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Rumania, and Moldavia as well as Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Simbabwe. Friends and employees of humedica who work in these countries make sure that all gift-filled boxes will be distributed to those suffering the most. However, not only children in far-away countries need help. Therefore, for the first time humedica will distribute Christmas presents to children in Bavaria. Volunteers will help to sort and distribute the gifts donated by private persons, schools, public institutions and businesses.
3,336 characters incl. blanks. Author’s copy kindly requested.
Background information:
humedica e.V. initiated the "Gifts from the heart" campaign
which is supported by Bayerischen Rundfunk und Sternstunden e. V.
For more information, visit http://www.geschenk-mit-herz.de
Transport route planning with map&guide
map&guide is the leading transport route planner in Europe - and a strong PTV brand in the transportation field: Over 50,000 users plan and calculate with map&guide. It provides route planning optimised for trucks with the highest map quality. Integrated truck and hazardous goods data mean forwarders plan correctly right from the start and avoid expensive detours. map&guide is the first route planner with detailed, route-related calculation of emissions. Go to www.mapandguide.de for more information on the map&guide products.
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