Die beiden BUWOG-Geschäftsführer Andreas Holler und Kevin Töpfer übergeben die Spendenschecks an Alexandra Gruber, Geschäftsführerin Die Tafel Österreich, und Ines Kohl, Obfrau AMINA.

The two BUWOG managing directors Andreas Holler (2nd from left) and Kevin Töpfer (2nd from right) hand over the donation cheques to Alexandra Gruber (right), Managing Director of Die Tafel Österreich, and Ines Kohl (left), Chairwoman of AMINA.

It’s just a couple of days until Christmas Eve! The festive Advent season has already begun and, for many, also the season of giving. And BUWOG is also taking this to heart – showing solidarity with a Christmas donation totalling EUR 27,000 to two charitable organisations.

Social action and solidarity are even more important in our society in times of crisis. As every year, BUWOG will also use its Christmas donation in 2023 to provide support to organisations that have made it their mission to help people in need. “As a leading full-service provider on the Austrian residential property market, social responsibility is part of who we are. The last few years have been beset by crises, thus they haven’t been easy. We are therefore called upon more than ever to provide support to those who need it,” says Kevin Töpfer, managing director of BUWOG Group GmbH.

Two charitable organisations that work tirelessly in the service of the general public have been honoured this years: Die Tafel Österreich (formerly Wiener Tafel), which rescues edible food and other goods from rubbish bins and provides it to poverty-stricken people in social institutions free of charge, and the association AMINA, which carries out projects in the area of development cooperation in Africa and Eastern Europe and provides emergency aid in cases of disaster.

Food supplies for those in need

“Give it away, don’t throw it away”: BUWOG is extremely delighted to support this idea during the 2023 Christmas season as well and is providing EUR 20,000 in relief to both poverty-stricken people as well as the environment. Together with more than 280 volunteers, Die Tafel Österreich, a social and environmental organisation financed by donations, has been rescuing food still fit for consumption from rubbish bins since 1999. This mission will be operated under the new name “Die Tafel Österreich” in the future.

“Now, at the commencement of our 25th anniversary, we are forging a path to be able to successfully continue combating food waste and rising poverty in Austria in the future. The new name builds on what we already know, recognising the achievements of Wiener Tafel to date and expanding the opportunities to pursue our mission even more effectively than before – at a time when it is needed more than ever. As the oldest and largest food bank in Austria, we need a strong voice in order to safeguard this work for the future. For people affected by poverty, for the environment, for an even better bridge from abundance to need. Thus, we are very grateful for BUWOG's donation, which will help us further increase our deliveries of the necessary assistance to poverty-stricken people throughout Austria,” says Alexandra Gruber, managing director of Die Tafel Österreich.

Giving kids a fair chance: a house for street children in Senegal

Amina stands for “Aktiv für Menschen in Not”, or “Active for People in Need”, and is a Vienna-based non-profit organisation that has been active in the areas of emergency aid and sustainable development cooperation since 2003. The organisation focuses on providing support to particularly disadvantaged groups such as children, women and the elderly. It works together with local organisations in the project countries and draws on their expertise when carrying out projects. Step by step, Amina is combating poverty and hunger and is committed to literacy, vocational training and supplying water in rural regions. In 2019, the “Sabrina de Abelleyra” project in Saint Louis in the north of Senegal built a house for street children with BUWOG’s support. Here, the children receive hot meals and are cared for in the event of illness or injury. The focus is also on literacy and vocational training so that the children and young people have a chance at an independent life. Tailoring, gardening and IT training are offered. This year's donation of EUR 7,000 will be used to carry out urgently needed repairs to the building.

Ines Kohl, chairperson of Amina, is delighted with the donation: “Thanks to BUWOG’s support, it is still possible for us to offer the children and young people in Saint Louis im Ker (which is Wolof and means house) a safe place. THANK YOU!”