Experiences Report

Giving money saves you time.

Giving time enriches your experience.

Through the direct contact with other people you find out so much about their lives, problems, hopes and successes.

Read how other colleagues have already helped out by donating

their time.

Share your experiences of volunteering with us here.

 

The Most Recent Reports

  • Cooking day for Caritas

    According to the motto: Capital Markets & Financial Institutions meets the kitchen. As part of our traditional ‘Social Day activities’, we were able to prepare lunch for people who are cared for by Caritas and make a valuable contribution.

  • Elephants and More with Vienna Lebenshilfe

    On Friday, 13 June, the time had finally come: a joint excursion to Schönbrunn Zoo was on the agenda - organised by colleagues from the ERSTE Navigator programme in cooperation with Wiener Lebenshilfe. The aim was not only to spend an enjoyable afternoon, but also to set an example of inclusion in practice.

  • Community Cooking at Caritas

    On 22 May, we from Group Taxes spent a morning at Caritas together with the IFRS Reporting & Accounting Competence Centre team to help out with the Community Cooking event.

  • A day full of valuable experiences: Our social day at Sunnahof

    As part of our Navi training, we had the opportunity to spend a social day at Sunnahof, a subsidiary of Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg. The three of us were divided between the different areas of agriculture, gardening and the farm catering/shop on the organic farm and were able to spend a day helping out.

  • Team day Obdach

    Do you still know a Wurlitzer? The (almost) ancient ‘make a wish’ when it came to music? Well, Wurlitzergasse 89 in Vienna's 17th district is home to Obdach Wien's Opportunity House. People live here who would certainly wish for something else...

  • Volunteering Day at the House of Hope – Train of Hope

    On 8th April, our team had the pleasure of participating in a volunteering event at the House of Hope, part of the Train of Hope initiative, where we spent the day working on various tasks to support refugees and improve their living environment.

  • Cooking for the Caritas Gruft

    Overall, it was a powerful experience that showed us how important it is to help and support people in our community, especially during difficult times. We are grateful for the opportunity to give back and hope that we can continue to help improve the lives of others in the future.

  • ‘Social commitment gives my life more meaning’

    I have learnt that babies who are born a few months prematurely, so-called ‘premature babies’, are so small that clothes in sizes 42 to 48 are not available in shops for them. In hospital, premature babies do get clothes, but they are single-coloured and functional, because feeding tubes and cables have to fit through and must not slip when changing nappies and clothes. 

  • Building Hope Together: A Day with Obdach Wien

    On 22th January, Erste Social Banking, Erste Finance and Time Bank colleagues had the privilege of spending the day at Obdach Wien in Kastanienallee. It was a Social Day+ filled with purpose, connection, and reflection.

  • Tetris for Advanced Players - an experience report with Futterbox

    I had wanted to ‘donate’ some of my free time to animals for some time and recently got the opportunity to do so via Time Bank: Futterbox, a kind of ‘food bank’ for animals and their people who do not (or no longer) have the opportunity to buy food and accessories at normal prices.

  • Help for Train of Hope

    On 23rd September, we had the opportunity to contribute to the vital work of Train of Hope in providing aid and support to refugees. Throughout the day, we focused on different tasks to help Train of Hope provide essential support and create a safe, welcoming place for refugees. Our goal for the volunteer day was simple yet impactful: to help Train of Hope deliver aid effectively and ensure that those in need are given the resources and space they need.

  • An afternoon at the ‘Madame Tussauds’ museum

    My colleagues and I met on 18 October 2024 near the ‘Praterstern’ rapid transit station to go on an excursion to the Madame Tussauds Museum in Vienna's Prater with the partially assisted residents of Lebenshilfe Wien. We were 11 employees in total and accompanied 16 people, including 13 people with disabilities and 3 carers. As we had already travelled with this group last year as part of our ESG event, we decided to have fun again this year and meet up again. We contacted Maria Hörlesberger from LH Vienna and asked her to put together a group to accompany us. The invitation was well received and everyone was thrilled to take part in this excursion.

  • NAVI 2.0 social project - Strike!

    To make this day a success, preparation was essential. To this end, each team member was assigned a task. These included documenting the day, making reservations, creating name badges, organising goody bags and much more. Our get-together with all participants took place in the Akropolis restaurant. The first few moments were filled with slight shyness and hesitation, but thanks to the cheerful nature of all those present, this gave way to a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere after a few minutes. We chatted extensively over dinner and found one or two things in common. Afterwards, we all marched together to the bowling alley. Thankfully, the hall had opened early for all of us. As soon as the groups were formed, the first pins were already flying. After 2 hours of bowling without a break, it was unfortunately time to leave.

  • A day at the SooGut social market

    We, in other words the EGS OU 1130, were able to help out for a day at one of the 14 SooGut social market locations in Austria. 

  • A day of commitment at VinziRast am Land

    On 25 June, we had the opportunity to spend a social day at VinziRast am Land, where we were actively involved in doing good. VinziRast am Land is a place where formerly homeless people can find a home and regain a foothold in life by working together. 

  • A Day of Team-Building and Community Service at Caritas

    Our dedicated team of analysts from Large Corporates (LC) spent a whole day at Caritas' “Am Himmel” day centre, a day center for people with disabilities (e.g. autism or down syndrome).

  • Could do with a new coat of paint

    The Verein NL 40 in Kalvarienberggasse is a collaboration of experts from the fields of health, education, communication, social work, therapy, integration, as well as arts and culture.

  • “Flower or weed?”: GM Business Development Gardeners at Augarten

    On the 9th of July, the Bundesgärten Wien and Schatzhaus Österreich witnessed the enthusiasm and dedication of our Group Markets Business Development team. This event was organized to support and help maintain the beautiful gardens.

  • Only the tough get into the garden (Belvedere) - off to the flower bed

    "Roll up your sleeves" was the motto for the Banking Recruiting Team on 16 May in collaboration with the Bundesgärten Wien and Schatzhaus Österreich.

  • Gardening at the Jewish cemetery in Währing

    A team event was once again on the agenda in 2024, but it was to be a little different from previous years: We put our hands in the service of a good cause. 

  • Navi 2.0 CSR Project – Train of Hope

    As part of the Navigator programme, we were asked to carry out a social/volunteering project that not only follows the CSR/ESG concept, but more importantly, can make a meaningful impact within the communities we serve. We decided for the “Train of Hope” project, a centre for Ukrainian refugees, where we all committed to take a few hours in our day to physically help out in their afternoon/evening activites.

  • NAVI 2.0 social project - Strike!

    To make this day a success, preparation was essential. To this end, each team member was assigned a task. These included documenting the day, making reservations, creating name badges, organising goody bags and much more. 

  • Fostering Community Joy: A Colorful Fasching Celebration at Obdach Sautergasse

    Thanks to the voluntary commitment of ErsteColors, the LGBTIQ+ network of Erste Bank and Sparkasse employees, the atmosphere in the Obdach Sautergasse was transformed into an exuberant carnival party.

  • Navi 2.0 social project - Jugend am Werk

    For our group, it was not clear from the outset what we wanted to do and achieve as a team. However, with the help of Time Bank, we quickly found a great project that was also possible for the large number of participants. 

  • #glaubandich - Food for the Caritas Gruft

    Sabine Eger, who has worked for Erste Bank for more than 35 years as a service employee behind the teller counter, had the wonderful idea of doing something good for our fellow human beings. It didn't take long for the idea of cooking for the homeless to take root and germinate among us colleagues at the Jedlersdorf branch. We enthusiastically embraced Sabine's idea to help people who are marginalised in our society to believe in themselves by providing them with a warm meal and compassion for their situation. 

  • A valuable day at Sterntalerhof

    As a parting gift on the occasion of my retirement, I asked my colleagues from Social Banking Erste Bank for a meaningful day together.

  • A valuable day at Sterntalerhof

    As a parting gift on the occasion of my retirement, I asked my colleagues from Social Banking Erste Bank for a meaningful day together.

  • Do a lot with little effort

    Just like the statement by his colleague Georg Schneider: "vüü Fleisch". The department conjured up delicious roasts from a total of 25kg of minced meat. The lovingly prepared menu was rounded off with parade soup to warm up, mashed potatoes and cucumber salad as side dishes and pudding and cake as a sweet finish.

  • "Don't talk about each other"

    The Start with a Friend (SwaF) association has set itself the goal of helping to create an inclusive society in which all people have equal rights and social participation - regardless of their origin. That immigration is understood as an opportunity and diversity, and that this creates new impulses for social coexistence and successful integration in education and work, which brings economic benefits.

  • NAVI 2.0 (course 16) Social day in the Ukraine centre "Train of Hope"

    Part of the Navigator programme is to carry out a social project in line with the CSR/ESG concept. It quickly became clear to our team that we wanted to take up a topic that had been forgotten in recent months - we wanted to dedicate our time to the Ukraine Day Centre of the Train of Hope.

  • SAD+ event with GGP participants - The power of shared learning and connection

    On 22 June 2023, the participants of Erste Group's Group Graduate Programme (GGP) met in Obdach Favorita for a transformative volunteering experience. 

  • Johanniter - Volunteering and Courses

    I always wanted to make a meaningful contribution in the field of volunteering...A few years ago I had the opportunity to attend the Life, Death and Bereavement Support Course through Time Bank. 

  • NAVI 2.0 Social Project

    The social project of our Navigator 2.0 course was used to support this relief organization. About 190 people are cared for in the fully assisted living of the ÖHTB.

  • From Planned Team Building to Social Project

    At the latest when two existing teams are merged into one, it is time for a teambuilding event. This is exactly what happened on the trading floor and good ideas were needed.

  • Group-Volunteering at VinziRast

    We are a group of enthusiasts from DATA and Data2Business divisions who were looking forward for an initiative to contribute to a  human cause and make someone’s day better.

  • Helping in the Caritas Day Centre for Refugees from Ukraine

    Taras Demyanets moved to Vienna from Ukraine 22 years ago to work at Erste Group. In his free time, he helps Ukrainians who have fled the war at the Caritas Day Centre in the Erste Tower. 

  • Raising Funds to Give Hope

    I dedicate a considerable part of my free time to the Old Catholic Diakonie Austria. As chairman, I am responsible for the activities and projects of the association.

  • Support of Vienna Social Markets (START UP Association)

    In order to support as efficiently as possible, we helped in two "Foodpoint" branches (Floridsdorf and Penzing) on two days put away shelves, sorted and sorted out goods in the warehouse and in the market.

  • Renovation of the warehouse of the VinziRast-Lokal mittendrin

    On 16.11.2022, the goal of our Navigator 2.0 group was to clear out and clean the restaurant's warehouse, including all goods, and then to set up new shelves and put them back in place.

  • Helping with gardening at Haus Jaro

    Preparing Haus Jaro garden for spiring was selected by the group as a joint decision. We worked in the garden of Haus Jaro and transformed the garden, which was in poor condition, into an amenable space. 

  • Help at the Caritas Day Centre

    Ermina, Rusmir, Franz & I arrived at the Caritas day centre at half past eight. First we got a short introduction about the background of the centre and how things work in the kitchen. 

  • Culture-Social Day at Schatzhaus Österreich in the Belvedere Federal Garden

    Full of confidence, zest for action and with the physical means at our disposal, we thus met on a cool spring day at the end of April 2022 in front of the entrance to the Alpine Garden at the Belvedere. 

  • #Wasdunichtsiehst at neunerhaus- Make Hidden Homelessness Visible

    This urgent ad-hoc help was conveyed to Time Bank by Monika Gröger.

    The Time Bank Community reacted quickly and so the artworks could be installed at Christian-Broda Square and Esterházy park on 19 October 2021.

  • “Kulturbuddy” at Caritas Vienna

    The “Kulturbuddy” project of Caritas Vienna offers people interested in culture and sports an opportunity to volunteer. As a Kulturbuddy, you accompany residents from Caritas Vienna social institutions to cultural and sporting events. 

  • Geiselberg flea market raises 75,000 euros for a good cause

    The flea market at the now closed IT site Geiselberg generated proceeds of more than 75,000 euros for charitable purposes and resulted in many grateful NGOs who were happy to receive more than 1,500 in-kind donations. 

  • Social Day of Navigators 2.0 despite Corona

    The implementation of the project was not exactly made easier by the COVID19 measures. The task was: To implement a social project together in a group of 10 colleagues in times of Corona.

  • Erste Asset Management supports Wiener VinziWerke

    As part of our 2020 Christmas campaign, Erste AM donated 1,500 euros. This donation was handed over to the VinziWerk and supports people in need.

  • #believeinyourself video: Social engagement strenghtens teams

    For their team building event this year, the COO team - comprising Holding employees of Group Digital Transformation, Holding IT and Group COO Governance - chose a very special mission...

  • #believeinyourself: Our Christmas packages put a huge smile on childrens’ faces

    Colleagues put a lot of #believeinyourself and effort into supporting Time Bank with its “Christmas truckers” appeal on behalf of the Johanniter (St. John’s Ambulance Service). One colleague accompanied the packages all the way to Romania - and had a never-to-be-forgotten experience.

Time Bank - as a Hub

Organisations that need your time