Friederike Meinel is a supporter of the charitable organization Catania; a concert series “Children helping children” will take place under her patronage.
“Music is the most emotional way to reach people’s hearts. I was immediately taken in by Catania’s mission and I support this non-profit organization. If I as an artist can help children, I want to do it with all my heart”, says Friederike Meinel.
The charitable organization Catania offers consultation, care, and treatment to traumatized victims of violence and cooperates with the treatment center for victims of torture in Berlin. Catania also sees itself as a supporting partner to doctors that are often not sufficiently informed and thus helpless when confronted with traumatized people.
“It is often extremely difficult for children to cope with violence, abuse, an accident, or the loss of a loved one, and it usually leaves them bereft of speech. In such cases words of understanding are simply not enough”, says Richard Gruenberg, the manager of Catania, which was founded in 2005; Prof. Dr. Joerg Dietrich Hoppe, president of the Medical Association, is one of the members of the advisory council.
Friederike Meinel has taken over the patronage for a series of concerts “Children helping children” planned in cooperation with music schools and youth orchestras.
Very successful concerts such as in Dresden (Sinfonieorchester Heinrich-Schuetz-Konservatorium), in Duesseldorf (Clara-Schumann Musicschool),in Berlin (Bela Bartok Musicschool),in Muenchen and Augsburg (Jugendsinfonieorchester Augsburg), in Frankfurt/Oder (Deutsch-Polnisches Jugendsinfonieorchester) in Lübeck (Jugendsinfonieorchester Lübeck) in Kassel (Orchestra Musicacademy) in the opera house Kassel and in Frankfurt am Main. “Children helping children” won 2011 the Kiwanis-prize.