The Fonds Soziales Wien is a charitable organization of the city council of Vienna. The fund offers a wide range of social benefits for people with special needs, senior citizens or socially underprivileged people. Apart from special daycare-centers, care homes and assisted living communities, the fund offers free advice and help.
Daycare centers for homeless people
The Wiener Wohnungslosenhilfe is a subsidiary organization of the Fonds Soziales Wien which offers daycare centers, where homeless people can stay and rest. Many of these centers are equipped with showers, cooking facilities and deposits for personal belongings. In these shelters, advice in all sorts of affairs is offered to homeless people. While these centers are opened only during daytime, people can temporarly find overnight shelter at the night quarters of the Wiener Wohnungslosenhilfe. They offer beds, showers and warm dinners. Charges are two Euros per night. This service, however, is for Austrian citizens only. In winter (November until April) the shelters are prepared to increase their services.
The Fonds Soziales Wien offers reintegration programs to help homeless people get back on their feet and lead a regular life. Whoever has an Austrian citizenship and is willing to change their lives, can participate in one of the assisted living-community projects.
Another service, the Wiener Wohnungslosenhilfe offers, is medical and psychiatric care. In cooperation with Caritas (Louise-Bus), neunerhaus (medical office for homeless people) and the Verein LOGIN, the Wiener Wohnunglosenhilfe provides basic medical supply for homeless people.
Services for refugees
The Fonds Soziales Wien helps refugees in Austria with several programs and initiatives. Asylum seekers are provided basic supplies, especially accommodation. Furthermore, the Fonds Soziales Wien tries to give refugees access to education. Because the sources of income for asylum-seekers in Austria are very limited (mostly communal or seasonal work), the fund mediates jobs. The fund works together with 60 municipal departments in order to provide work for refugees.
Together with other charitable organizations the Fonds Soziales Wien is part of the EU-financed project CORE which furthers integration. It helps refugees find employment in the working sector they have been educated or working in, before they had to flee their home-country.
© Julia Lenart
Elder care
The Fonds Soziales Wien is involved in the provisioning of daycare centers, where senior citizens are taken care of by specially trained nurses. The services range from therapy and caretaking to entertainment programs like music, dance or occasional trips to cultural institutions. The daycare centers help improving life-quality of the elderly and their relatives. Most of them are open Monday until Friday (8am-5pm). The daycare center PLUS in Favoriten is also open on weekends and holidays (9am-6pm).
Palliative service
The Fonds Soziales Wien is currently expanding its palliative services, which supports dying people and their families. Patients with incurable diseases are cared for at home by specially trained caregivers. For the person affected this means, that symptoms of their disease are soothed, and psychological and spiritual support is provided for them. The relatives are also supported through these hard times (especially psychologically). Furthermore, the Fonds Soziales Wien gives advice in legal matters, such as applications for attendance allowance or patient’s provisions.
© Julia Lenart
Debtor-Advice (Schuldner-Beratung)
The Schuldner-Beratung is a sub-organization of the Fonds Soziales Wien which offers free advice for people in dept. Since 2005 the Schuldner-Beratung offers guidance regarding legal matters. The organization also works on solving the debt-problems of their clients, in order to help affected people get rid of their debts. The Schuldner-Beratung offers special educational and informational programs in order to preemptivly save people of indebtedness.
Emergency telephone (Notruftelefon)
Additionally, the fund offers the Notruftelefon (emergency telephone) which provides help in case of illness. Medically trained helpers work for the Notruftelefon and give information on health-problems of all kind. The emergency telephone is connected to the ambulance, which is informed in special emergencies. The service is of course free and open 24/7.
Further Information about the Fonds Soziales Wien
Telephone: 01 / 24 5 24
Email: post@fsw.at
Information-centeres: Guglgasse 7–9 (1030 Wien), Lederergasse 25 (1080 Wien), Graumanngasse 7/A (1150 Wien), Heiligenstädter Straße 31/3 (1190 Wien), Rudolf-Köppl-Gasse 2 (1220 Wien)
