Volunteers urgently needed: emergency shelter needs support!

Volunteers urgently needed: emergency shelter needs support!

The VinziPort emergency shelter in Favoriten is open 365 days a year and offers protection and accommodation to 60 men in need. According to a recent announcement from Vinzi.at Most of the over 20,500 overnight stays last year were used by EU citizens who have inadequate entitlements in Austria. Despite this high occupancy rate, which has reached 94 percent, the facility is facing a serious challenge as the number of volunteers has plummeted.

There are currently only 16 volunteers working for the emergency shelter, only seven of whom work in reception. Hana Ella Hruba, the head of VinziPort, is concerned: "It becomes particularly difficult for us if someone gets sick or has to cancel due to private obligations. We can no longer maintain operations like this for long." The organization is urgently looking for more volunteers to keep operations running, especially with the end of the winter package in April, when demand for sleeping spaces is expected to increase.

Volunteer services and challenges

Volunteering at VinziPort does not require any special specialist knowledge, but rather requires empathy, openness and tolerance. Rafael Kirchtag, coordinator of VinziWerke, emphasizes that those interested have the opportunity to first get a taste of the activity and receive comprehensive training before they take action. Hruba makes it clear that in the coming period it is crucial to attract a stable number of volunteers in order to be able to adequately help the people who are at the door, as well as from orf.at was reported.