A “hidden champion” stands next to the children’s hospice service Löwenzahn

A company that started very small and is now active worldwide with more than 100 employees is named OCS in Witten. It was clear that OCS wanted to do something for children in the region and decided to support the “Outpatient Children’s and Youth Hospice Service Löwenzahn”, which was only founded in 2018 and runs a service in Dortmund and one in Bochum. They have taken 45 children and young people into their care.

The history of OCS is a success story. As a manufacturer of optical measuring and testing devices and systems, the company’s name is well known in the polymer and petrochemical industries. The systems are used, for example, for quality control in the production of high-voltage cables or in the manufacture of films for medical applications. OCS started 30 years ago with 20 employees and grew steadily. In the last five years, it has gone a long way in terms of success and the company doubled the number of employees from 50 to more than 100, making OCS one of the fast-growing companies in Witten.

“We are happy about our success and at the same time we also want to return something,” says OCS Operations Manager Lars Raila, “as a project worthy of support we have chosen Löwenzahn, which has also already achieved a lot in the region in the short time of its existence.” With 20,000 euros, OCS is now ensuring that the successful Löwenzahn concept is put on a secure footing.

Löwenzahn trains volunteers who then spend time with a child with a life-shortening illness in a 1:1 accompaniment. In addition, in 2019, Löwenzahn founded a group in which the siblings of children with the disease meet regularly. In Corona times, Löwenzahn did everything it could to maintain the companionship – as long as the family and volunteers agreed. Virtual meetings also took place in the sibling group to further promote togetherness.

Further information at

www.ambulanter-kinderhospizdienst-dortmund.de
www.forum-dunkelbunt-verein.de

Picture (c) OCS Optical Control Systems GmbH (from left to right: Lars Raila (OCS, Operations Management), Sonja Wolff (OCS, Financial Accounting) and Thorsten Haase (Ambulanter Kinder- und Jugendhospizdienst Löwenzahn, Managing Director)