On 8^th 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.

At first, we worked in the garden, which is split into two parts. One is for growing food items that are commonly consumed and expensive, as well as spices, which are rare in Vienna, but refugees miss. Here we set up ground for planting and planted lettuce and different flowers. The other part of the garden is divided into regions owned by families from more than 20 nationalities, fostering community spirit, integration, and mutual understanding. There we focused on finishing a decorative keyhole African-style garden, which is part of an initiative to make African refugees feel more at home and show others a unique garden that they probably haven’t seen.

Inside the house, we organized clothes, donated by us and other volunteers to make them easier for refugees to find. We also set up a free shop using various donated food items, allowing refugees to take what they need. This effort ensures that essential resources are readily available, contributing to the well-being and comfort of the many served in the House of Hope.

Our work had a significant impact on the refugee community, promoting diversity and integration. The garden project helps refugees feel more connected to their homeland and supports the community spirit. The diversity within our team mirrored the diversity of the refugee community, highlighting the importance of inclusion and mutual support.

Overall, working with the team on physical tasks in a different than the usual environment brought us closer together. We had fun and contributed greatly to a notable initiative.

But especially, the help is really needed, there is never enough volunteers and supporting is never “too much”: 400 meals are served daily by Train of Hope; clothes, toys, furniture, care products are picked up in a store-like setting; food is picked up in the food bank of House of Hope from Wednesday to Sunday.

We highly encourage every team to do a day of volunteering at least once. You won’t regret it!

Author: Tomislav Atanasov Kolev