One of the milestones of the Navigator 2.0 Programme, is a Corporate Social Responsibility Project. Due to the current situation, it was challenging to find a CSR Project that is compatible with the current COVID-19 situation. Further it needed to be an action or event that could work in English, as the group is international. During brainstorming it turned up quickly that the group wants to be practical, or more specifically work with their own hands.

Preparing Haus Jaro garden for spiring was selected by the group as a joint decision. House Jaro is a short-term housing project offered to EU citizens, those suffering of poverty, exclusion of society or suffering of diseases. The house offers residential places incl. care by the city of Vienna. There are needs for improvements within the garden, and this is a perfect match for the group to work with their hands, helping the ones that cannot. 

The group worked in the garden of Haus Jaro and transformed the garden, which was in poor condition, into an amenable space. We laid out the garden, transplanted bushes, put in flowers and prepared the soil and then spread grass and watered it.  

Breaking the daily sitting-at-the-screen office routine with some open-air active work and the consciousness of being helping others transformed the weekend work into a particularly rewarding and satisfying experience.  

This was a very fitting decision for the group to get connected, as the majority of the program took place online (due to Covid-19 restrictions). The group had also extra possibility for networking during the open-air lunch break at Haus Jaro (pizza was ordered!!).  

Authors: Daniela Bonholzer, Stefano Melchionna, Andreas Thomasson