Koblenz, 14 October 2026 – On Wednesday evening, the passenger ship “Stadt Vallendar” was booked for a very special occasion: Tafel Koblenz celebrated a change in its board. Margit Theis-Scholz is now Chair of Tafel Koblenz e.V., and Peter Bäsch was elected Honorary Chair at the association’s recent general meeting.
More than 130 volunteers and their families came on board, along with a number of prominent guests. The handover came after 26 years of successful board work.
In her welcome address, Koblenz Deputy Mayor Dr. Dagmar Kranz made use of the special venue, noting “that the Tafel, too, is a large ship in a figurative sense: to stay on course, it needs many people who lend a hand. People who organise, drive, sort, distribute, listen and are there for one another.” She also highlighted the honours Peter Bäsch has received for his achievements, including building up Tafel Koblenz: the City of Koblenz’s Badge of Honour for Social Commitment and the Federal Cross of Merit.
“26 years of dedication to Tafel Koblenz – a handshake really isn’t enough for that. You have to charter an entire ship,” said Peter Moskopp, Member of the State Parliament, in his tribute to Peter Bäsch that followed. He could speak from his own “Tafel experience”: he has supported the association since 2006 and has personally helped out at food distributions and collection runs. He wished the new Chair “a fortunate hand, plenty of strength, joy and always enough helping hands” in her new role.
In his speech, Peter Bäsch took the guests on a journey through time. He gave a vivid account of the Tafel’s beginnings, when food was still collected and distributed in private cars, and of the coronavirus pandemic, when the Tafel kept supplying people in need despite severe restrictions. He ended with today’s Tafel, now based in the convent of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. “Our association lives only through the people who carry it – those who lend a hand, contribute ideas, take on responsibility and stick together.”
In her speech, the new Chair, Margit Theis-Scholz, emphasised: “It is a great honour and, at the same time, a matter close to my heart to take on this important volunteer role. The Tafel makes a significant contribution to preventing food waste and thus actively to climate protection. But it has also become a strong social force in our community: an enormous number of volunteers support the Tafel’s work, sending a powerful message of solidarity, humanity and care.”
As the illuminated palaces and castles drifted past outside, guests enjoyed good food and had the chance to talk and get to know one another better.
