va-Q-tec supports Tafel Sömmerda with high-quality Cooling Solutions
Ten highly insulating transport boxes from va-Q-tec will in future ensure that the “Tafel Sömmerda” can supply people in difficult life situations with fresh and refrigerated food
Sömmerda / Kölleda, January 15, 2026. Netzwerk Regenbogen e.V., the organization operating the local food bank “Tafel Sömmerda”, received ten highly insulated food transport containers as a donation in kind from va-Q-tec Thermal Solutions GmbH, based in Kölleda. The containers of the type va-Q-tray are provided together with lids (va-Q-lids) and cooling packs. The boxes were produced in Kölleda around Christmas and handed over to the association at the beginning of the new year. They will ensure a reliable cold chain during the transport of fresh food. The donation in kind has a value of approximately EUR 2,200.
Tafel Sömmerda supplies around 700 people in need in the region with free food every week. The polyethylene cooling boxes previously in use were around 25 years old and had become heavily worn. The association was unable to finance replacements from its own resources.
Karsten Thiersch, Head of Netzwerk Regenbogen e.V., expressed his gratitude for the support: “Our old boxes had reached the end of their service life. A stable cold chain is essential for our work, so we are very grateful for the donation. It comes at exactly the right time and enables that we can continue to distribute food safely and in high quality to the people we support.”
The contact was established because va-Q-tec operates a production site in Kölleda. Tafel Sömmerda, in turn, runs distribution points in Buttstädt and Kölleda. va-Q-tec explicitly sees its support as a contribution to regional community assistance.
Sebastian Schmidt, Plantmanager of va-Q-tec in Kölleda, emphasized: “Especially in challenging times, it is important to stand together and help where support is urgently needed. We are very impressed by the commitment of Netzwerk Regenbogen. That is why we are happy to make a contribution to securing the supply of people in difficult life situations in the region.”
Founded in 2004, Netzwerk Regenbogen e.V. is largely financed through donations and does not receive regular public funding. In addition to its food bank activities, the association supports socially disadvantaged people through initiatives such as the “Möbelkiste,” which provides second-hand furniture and household items to those in need. The association also offers assistance with renovations, moving, or finding accommodation, and operates meeting places to counteract social isolation.