A total of eight colleagues from the Supervisory Reporting department spent a full day on September 18, 2025, supporting activities at the Train of Hope association. Train of Hope is active in refugee assistance and operates two locations: the Community Center for displaced persons from Ukraine in Vienna’s 15th district, and the “House of Hope” in the 23rd district of Vienna. On that day, we supported activities at the location in the 23rd district.

The “House of Hope” site consists of a building where donations in kind are accepted and then sold at a low price, as well as a building where food is distributed. In addition, there is a large cultivation area for fruits and vegetables, the harvest of which is distributed free of charge as part of the food distribution.

Our day on-site began at 10:30 a.m. After a welcome and an introduction to the activities we were allowed to support, we got started right away. That day, we helped with harvesting (grapes) and clearing work in the field, where young raspberry shoots and zucchinis had been planted. Before the clearing activities could begin, we marked the previously planted raspberry shoots with stakes.

In the early afternoon, we received additional support from two colleagues, and during a break, we were given a tour of the area, providing insight into the association’s activities and the needed donations of goods and food. Afterwards, we continued the clearing work with brush cutters, including removing the cut material, until late afternoon. The young raspberry shoots were now free on the cultivation area, and the grapes were harvested for food distribution.

After finishing the work, we sat together as a team for some refreshments and reflected on the day.

A heartfelt thank you to the Train of Hope team for the insights we gained that day and for the pleasant exchange on-site. For us, it was also an enriching experience to work together as a team on an activity outside of our usual banking routine.

Authors: OE 0702 4200/0717 4200