We don't look away

2015-06-16 | Corporate

It is time for a new "VinziBus": coinciding with the 25-year anniversary celebrations at the "Vinzenzgemeinschaft" charity in Graz, Austria, and after the old "VinziBus", which was also sponsored by Anton Paar, clocked up several hundred thousand kilometers and was used to distribute many millions of sandwiches.

"Homelessness and hunger are not unsolvable problems – certainly not here in Graz. People who get involved – who don't look away – are special. What they do is impressive. We are proud to support their work." (Maria Santner, Authorized Officer of Anton Paar GmbH)

"Seeing the bigger picture is part of the mentality of our company and the people who work here. It should always matter what happens to my colleague or outside my door. When we can help, we do. That doesn't mean we are a welfare institution. We are, of course, a globally active high-tech company which produces measuring instruments. We have responsibility for our employees and want to provide them with secure, long-term jobs. We can't donate all the revenue they have produced but we can donate part of it. We do this for carefully selected, very specific projects which help people directly. This year that was a new VinziBus." (Dr. Friedrich Santner, CEO of Anton Paar GmbH)

"Fountain of human kindness" – the first project of the "Vinzenzgemeinschaft" charity. The VinziBus has been out and about in Graz for 24 years. Every day it brings people in need essentials: Food for body and soul. Voluntary helpers "don't look away". Every evening they distribute tea and hundreds of sandwiches which are provided by the monasteries, hospitals and individual people in Graz to homeless people. Helpers are also there to listen if the homeless people want to talk about their day or their problems. Often it is a warm look or smile which is exactly what is needed most. The VinziBus project is truly a "fountain of human kindness". The VinziBus stops each day in Augarten (8 p.m.), Jakominiplatz (8.30 p.m.) and the main station (9.00 p.m.).

 

Donations are accepted by "Vinzenzgemeinschaft Eggenberg":

Steiermärkische Sparkasse
IBAN:AT34 20815 02200 406888
BIC:  STSPAT2G
Your donation can be written off against tax (acc. to §4 A Z3 and 4 ESTG). 
Reg.No.: Vinzenzgemeinschaft Eggenberg - VinziWerke, SO 1443

 

Information about VinziWerke 

The “VinziWerke“ (Vinzi works) arose in 1990 from the charity “Vinzenzgemeinschaft Eggenberg“. They look after people who have lost their way and therefore live in poverty. Today there are 34 VinziWerke institutions in Styria, Salzburg and Vienna (Austria). They provide up to 450 people with shelter and 1300 people with food and meals.

The “Vinzenzgemeinschaft Eggenberg” is one of 146 of these Vinzenz groups in Austria and one of 50,000 such groups in 148 countries around the world. The Vinzenz groups are autonomous and independent of each other. They rely on volunteers and aim to support poor people and help them find their way back into society.

 

On the picture: Gabriele Grössbauer (in the bus), who organizes the daily VinziBus-operations, Friedrich Santner (CEO Anton Paar GmbH), Maria Santner (Executive Director Administration at Anton Paar GmbH), Pastor Wolfang Pucher, who has initiated the VinziBus-project