With heart and public transport for a good cause: Our team from PrideMerch proudly donates a substantial sum to Aids-Hilfe Bremen e.V. and continues to grow.
For us, it's more than just a money transfer – it's proof that our idea works. Just in time for the upcoming World AIDS Day on December 1st, we were able to present Aids-Hilfe Bremen e.V. with a check for 1,032 Euros! What once began as a courageous idea by our initiator Thorsten Höller is now a true success story. We are showing that those who receive help can also give help.
A Circle Closes: Thank You for Your Trust!
"We are disabled, but not stupid – and we can achieve great things if given the chance," Thorsten said during the handover, and that speaks for all of us. We earned the 1,032 Euros together – through the sale of the popular AIDS Solidarity Teddy bears and our rainbow merchandise here in the shop.
The connection to Aids-Hilfe Bremen e.V. is something very special for us. In October 2022, they were the very first organization to believe in us when our "PrideMerch By Team Behinderte" project was just starting out.
Mario Carlo Stara-Flohr, the press spokesperson for AIDS-Hilfe Bremen, accepted the check visibly moved. His words touched us deeply:
"When Thorsten presented his idea to us back then, we didn't hesitate. [...] The fact that this team, which itself has to overcome so many everyday hurdles, is now supporting us with such a generous donation, touches us deeply. [...] We placed our bet on the right partnership back then – and today we are jointly reaping the fruits of solidarity."
Why Every Euro Counts
World AIDS Day stands for a life without stigmatization. Our donation goes directly into the important educational and counseling work of Aids-Hilfe. When you buy an "AIDS Teddy" from us, which we carefully package and deliver, you are making a double statement: For a life with HIV without exclusion and for a world of work that leaves no one behind.
PrideMerch Delivery: We Come by Train!
We are not a traditional workshop where we work in hiding. We want to get out to you! Our "PrideMerch Delivery" concept means: We often deliver orders in Bremen and the surrounding area personally – sustainably with BSAG and public transport.
Thorsten puts it in a nutshell:
"I no longer wanted to just bend metal in a workshop. I wanted to work for the rainbow. When I take the tram to a customer today and hand over the order personally, people see: Here comes someone who loves their job. I combine my hobby, public transport, with my work. We don't hide."
These encounters are also priceless for our colleague Marcel (reception and telephone service):
"Every personal delivery is proof to me that I'm doing my part. We are visible. We belong."
Our Family is Growing: Welcome CSD Verden and CSD Rotenburg!
The word is spreading that our model works. We are thrilled that our network is growing! In addition to CSD Bremen + Bremerhaven e.V. and Aids-Hilfe, the CSD Verden e.V. i. Gr. and, fresh off the press, the CSD Rotenburg are now among our partners.
The principle is simple: We assume the full risk – from procurement and storage to shipping. The associations receive 10% of the sales as a license fee for their political work, and the remaining 90% secure our inclusive workplaces.
An Offer to All Associations: Let Us Have Your Back
We know how hard voluntary work is. Organizing demonstrations, making demands – there's often no time left to also take care of T-shirts, flags, and parcel shipping. Nobody wants to store boxes of merch in their private living room.
That's where we come in. We offer you: Focus on politics, we'll do the merch. Every item sold creates work for us as queer people with disabilities. And the best part: The communities strengthen each other. Someone who buys a wristband for Bremen from us might see the shirt from Verden and order it right away.
We are ready to further expand this network of solidarity.
Thanks to everyone who orders from us and supports us. You make these donations and our jobs possible!
PrideMerch.de By Team Behinderte
