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. 

After making contact with the Gruft, we set about drawing up a plan. We were concerned with questions such as: Which dishes are good and quick for us as amateur cooks to prepare? What dishes and, above all, what quantities of food/ingredients are needed for 160 people? After a joint discussion, we agreed on cheese spaetzle with bacon and onion and egg dumplings as a vegetarian alternative. Fresh salad as a side dish and ready-made cake in the form of apricot and coffee roulades for dessert. We adapted the recipes for 160 people and drew up a shopping list.

No sooner said than done. On Saturday 17 February at 09:30, the time had come. Sabine Eger and Brigitte Haumer delivered the food purchased from the wholesaler to Barnabitengasse 12a. Our 7-strong #glaubandich team, consisting of 2 top advisors, 2 classic advisors, 1 service advisor and 2 volunteer daughters from the family, immediately got to work. Under the absolutely humorous and loving instruction of Mrs Birgit, a volunteer at the Gruft, we got down to business very quickly. Equipped with shoe covers, disposable gloves and hairnets, we started cooking.

Slowly but steadily, the smell of our 48 kilograms of freshly prepared cheese spaetzle spread throughout the kitchen. The smell of the bacon and onions in particular triggered curious glances from the dining room to us in the kitchen. The salad was cleaned, washed and marinated. The cheese spaetzle and egg dumplings were ready and garnished with chives. The dessert was cut into portions and prepared on trays.

12.30 pm - Food is served. The security staff at the Gruft let the first 80 people line up at the counter. Every single person thanked us when they received their meal. It gave us a warm and good feeling to have fed someone with a warm and good meal today. After around 100 meals had been handed out, all the homeless people were fed and it was time for seconds. Some went back for seconds and praised us for the flavour of the food.

14:30 - Food distribution finished. The visibly full and satisfied guests thanked us with a big round of applause. Exhausted but visibly satisfied, we also took some of our cooked late-night snacks and had lunch in the staff social rooms.
This day strengthened us as a team, but above all brought us closer to our fellow human beings.

We are grateful.

Grateful that we as a team were able to prepare this large quantity of food in time.

Grateful that we prepared a good hot meal for so many people and fed them.

Grateful that it tasted really good and that it worked perfectly despite being our first time as chefs.

Author: Thomas Reschling