- The non-cash donation is comprised of around 20,000 pieces of furniture - these are used in the Caritas facilities, sold in Carla Shops or auctioned in Europe-wide online auctions
- Crucial support from the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) by providing warehouses for the furniture
- Purchase of furniture from the donation is possible for all interested parties
- The proceeds from the auction will benefit Caritas social counselling, as well as children and young people in need
With the move into its new head office at the Austria Campus, UniCredit Bank Austria performed one of the biggest relocation projects in Central Europe. A total of 5,300 employees of the bank, as well as the UniCredit CEE units and UniCredit Group companies domiciled in Vienna, were relocated to the new company head office while the business operations were running, including the IT infrastructure.
Those responsible also searched for meaningful and sustainable use of the existing furniture - desks, office chairs, boxes, conference tables and chairs, clothes racks, lamps, etc. - which can no longer be used at the new and innovative location. In close cooperation with Caritas Vienna (Caritas der Erzdiözese Wien), a highly ambitious idea in terms of logistics was born and ultimately also put into action.
Robert Zadrazil, Chairman of the Board of UniCredit Bank Austria: "With the joint initiative 'My desk is doing good deeds!', we and Caritas, in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railways, realised the largest non-cash donation Caritas has ever received in Austria, with a total of 20,000 pieces of furniture. Our furniture will now either continue to be used in Caritas facilities, sold in the Caritas shops or auctioned in Europe-wide online auctions for a good cause."
"We are delighted about this new, innovative cooperation with UniCredit Bank Austria, which is a long-standing partner of Caritas. A big thank you for this unique and largest non-cash donation we have received so far. Thousands of desks, lamps, pin boards... will do a lot of good. A heartfelt thank you also to the Austrian Federal Railways, which provided two warehouses for temporary storage free of charge," emphasizes Michael Landau, President of Caritas. "The implementation of a project of this size only works if the many people involved have a common goal: giving children and young people a better start in life, helping families in need and people affected by poverty."
Purchase possible from the beginning of August for all interested parties
Until mid-August, all 20,000 pieces of furniture will have been handed over to Caritas Vienna. They will either be stored temporarily in the warehouses of the Austrian Federal Railways or will go directly to the Caritas facilities for use and for retail sales in Caritas shops. The sales run from the beginning of August 2018 to October 2019 and are open to all interested parties. Retail customers, wholesalers, start-ups or small businesses can purchase furniture. The furniture is offered in the carlas, the second-hand shops of Caritas and via online distribution channels, such as the auction platform Karner & Dechow (www.karner-dechow.at). From September 2018 there will also be the opportunity to view and buy furniture in the warehouses at Siebenhirtenstrasse 18 in Liesing, two days a week. Interested parties can contact sachspenden@caritas-wien.at.
Who benefits from the donation and the proceeds
Robert Zadrazil: "We are very pleased that, with the hopefully substantial proceeds from this initiative, Caritas social counselling and children and young people in need can be supported by Caritas."
Caritas social counselling: Caritas social counselling services have a network of offices throughout Austria, where people in need can seek assistance and advice. The goal of the offices is for people to get by over the long term without outside help.
Michael Landau: "We provide counselling and also cover rent costs or heating costs to prevent people from being evicted or their electricity being switched off. The project is entirely financed by donations, and an important contribution will now come from the proceeds from the furniture donation. The Family Fund of UniCredit Bank Austria has already supported this initiative for families in need for many years."
Aid for children and young people in need: Children and young people are among the most vulnerable in society. They are at the start of their lives and require special attention. That is why numerous Caritas projects focus on young people. For example, mothers with their children can find refuge in Carita's Mother & Child Houses. In the Caritas educational centre, learning assistance is offered. The a_way is an emergency shelter and initial place of refuge for young people. Michael Landau says: "We support young people, give them a piece of safety and security and facilitate future opportunities. The big furniture donation of Bank Austria makes a valuable contribution to this, alongside the active support of many donors."
In conclusion, Robert Zadrazil emphasises: "We would like to thank the Austrian Federal Railways for their important support of the 'My desk is doing good deeds!' campaign by providing their warehouses for the furniture and Caritas for the excellent cooperation. This extraordinary project was, in fact, only possible with joint forces and is a wonderful sign of this lived cooperation."
https://www.bankaustria.at/en/about-us-press-current-press-releases_30515.jsp