The Wiener Tafel is the oldest environmental- and social organization in Austria. It builds bridges between affluency and poverty by saving food from being thrown away and giving it to people in need.
Poverty vs abundance
Although Austria is one of the richest countries in Europe, more than 18% of its people (that is more than 1.5 million) are endangered or directly affected by poverty. In Vienna alone, there are about 8,000 people who permanently live on the streets. Over 7,000 people are temporarily homeless. On the other side, more than 70,000 tons of precious food are being disposed as garbage every year. The Wiener Tafel offers hope, fighting social injustice, their slogan being “Supply instead of dispose”. Hundreds of volunteers collect food from trading businesses, industrial institutions or farms, that would otherwise be disposed. They deliver the goods to social institutions such as women’s shelters, mother-child-centers, homeless-shelters and refugee-homes.
Policy: Fairness and sustainability
Food should not be just randomly transferred from one place to another, the supply must be sustainable. Goods are only received from 200 donors that the Wiener Tafel is cooperating with under strict regulations. Of course the food is checked first; no expired or inedible food is taken, as well as goods that can cause addiction (alcohol, cigarettes, …). The organization collects only as much food as they can distribute or store.
Furthermore, the Wiener Tafel distributes food only to places, where it is really needed. Only organizations (the Wiener Tafel is currently cooperating with 120 charitable organizations) that fight homelessness and poverty on the long term, are being supplied with food. Professional advice- and care-centers help affected people getting back on track and reintegrate them in society.
The main policy of the Wiener Tafel says that every human being has the right of a good life, the premise being fair distribution. Mutual appreciation – regardless of origin, sex, social status or skin color – is very important. Treating resources in a sustainable way helps fighting starvation, poverty and food waste.
Per Aspera ad Astra
The Wiener Tafel was founded by Martin Haiderer and students of the Sozialakademie in 1999. At first there where only a few volunteers who helped building the Wiener Tafel with nothing but the utopian idea of social justice and hard work. It took years until they reached their first small goals, but the members never gave up. Today the Wiener Tafel is one of the most important charitable organizations in Austria.
The Wiener Tafel was always (and still is) an independent organization. This is necessary in order to offer unbureaucratic help where it is truly needed. As a Non-Profit-Organization (NPO), the Wiener Tafel funds itself only by donations, sponsoring, volunteer work and memberships. It makes no financial profit. But if the world is being made a little bit better by the work of the Wiener Tafel, then that’s profit enough.
