Soogut: 20 years of food rescue and support in Lower Austria

Soogut: 20 years of food rescue and support in Lower Austria

The story of Soogut, a social system to combat poverty and food waste in Lower Austria, recently celebrated an important anniversary. Since the opening of the first social market in 2004, over 3.5 million purchases have been recorded. This impressive number shows how important the offer is for many people in the region. In the ten Soogut social markets, around 1,200 purchases are made every day, which makes it clear how necessary this support is.

The long -time partners of Soogut, who have been standing by the beginning, are particularly noteworthy, such as Alois Huber, Managing Director of Spar. He explained that the initiative started like a start-up 20 years ago, even if it was not understandable for everyone at first. Huber assured that SPAR will continue to donate the goods to support the valuable work of the markets.

A review of two decades of help

Especially Karl Rottenschlager, the founder of the markets, emphasized the achievements of the past two decades. He said it was almost like a miracle that there are now 20 locations in Lower Austria, the many people benefit. The initial vision of saving food and fighting poverty was not only realized, but the markets also created social meeting points.

Wolfgang Brillmann, the managing director of Soogut, emphasized that working with around 350 volunteers is crucial for the success of the markets. These volunteers bring their passion and offer support that goes far beyond mere food supply. They contribute to the fact that every purchase in these markets is also a question of human dignity, since the clients have the opportunity to decide what they buy independently and with a certain degree of self -determination.

In addition to the sale of food, the social markets also offer gastronomic options, such as cheap lunch menus in the connected cafés. These offers promote social participation and create a space in which people can meet and exchange. Brillmann expressed that these positive experiences of the volunteers in many cases are a source of personal fulfillment.

An example of the influence of the markets is the history of a cashier who came to the Soogut market after years of fear of loss of job due to an illness. Her health improved noticeably, which she also attributed the stress -free environment that the social market offered to her. Such experiences show the importance and the positive influence of the Soogut markets on the life of the people in the region.

The State Councilor Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig, who is also involved, praised the concept of the markets. Every year, she cooks a Christmas dinner for customers with her husband, which is a kind of return to people for her. "The activity in the Soogut Markt grounds and brings us to the people," she commented.

Overall, the Soogut social markets are a shining example of creative solutions to combat poverty and food waste. Their approach to use resources and support people in difficult situations not only learn benevolence, but also play a central role in the everyday life of many people in Lower Austria. A deeper analysis of this phenomenon offers The article by www.noen.at .