On November 22, at the chapel tucked away inside the A-Building at the Vallendar campus of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, there was a joyous sound as a collective of talented students commanded the humble stage for a good cause. Every year, WHUSH, short for WHU Students Help, holds their Charity Concert, an event that gives the community a little holiday cheer while simultaneously supporting those in need. For 2022, their attentions turned to Lichtzeichen e.V., a local charity that assists expectant mothers who are facing hardship.
Before the singing and playing had even begun, the crowd, packed from wall to wall, felt a need to loudly applaud the efforts of this altruistic student group. The show, freely open to the public, officially started with a call to action, as representatives from WHUSH asked the audience to make donations to the Vallendar-based organization, which started as a project by Schönstattbewegung 20 years prior. Ulrike Eichenberg, who helped found Lichtzeichen, expressed her gratitude for the productive collaboration with the school’s “incredible young folks,” saying, “We’ve had the best time working with you.” According to her, the funds raised will go toward supporting the center’s latest project: an expansion of their facilities, which will allow for daily childcare. This is in addition to all that Lichtzeichen currently does for expectant mothers, such as providing them toys and clothes, hot meals, counseling, and housing support—both before and after their babies arrive. During the intermission, the club sold freshly made cookies, bowls of soup, and waffles to the charity’s benefit, helping them on their mission to “give mothers and their child a good future.”
