Today, I had the opportunity to participate in a very special project together with eleven colleagues from the Cube Based Reporting & Analytics department at Erste Group Services GmbH: a maintenance assignment in the Baden spa gardens, organised by the landscape conservation association (Landschaftspflegeverein). We were accompanied by two dedicated biologists, Irene and Felix, as well as an intern – and I can only say: it was an enriching day all round!

As an OE, we decided to carry out a joint volunteer activity in order to learn about other aspects of work and approaches as a team. On 7 May, nine of us went to the Augarten in Vienna, where we were given a guided tour and planted two fields.

It has become something of a cherished tradition that, for the past three years, the Group Markets Execution team has been planning an event with Lebenshilfe Wien.

For my social work placement, I decided to work at the Caritas St Teresa residential care home in Vienna's 22nd district.

At first I was quite unsure how to organise the whole thing, but luckily my mum helped me to find a suitable position through a colleague. 

Last week, the Group Data Mgmt Framework and Innovation Team traded data and dashboards for flowers as we took part in a special voluntary action at the stunning Schönbrunn Gardens in Vienna.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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).

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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...

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.