AUSTRIA ROAD TRIP

We presented two projects for approval on Monday:

Tailoring Workshops-Refugees- Torino, Italy

Colori Vivi provides structured training for women in vulnerable situations. This two-year program offers an 80-hour introductory course for basic tailoring skills followed by a 6-month internship in its own workshop. An additional 6-month internship in an external tailoring workshop is financed by the municipality where women can earn certification that allows them to find employment. The project will provide funds to purchase work equipment including sewing machines for the operation of the sewing laboratory.

Pharmaceuticals-Refugees-Milan, Italy

Banco Farmaceutico collects unexpired pharmaceuticals and processes them for redistribution to vulnerable populations. There is a decreasing availability of essential medicines such as antibiotics in pharmacies in Italy. Consequently, healthcare organizations offering free medications face great difficulty in obtaining them. The medicines collected by Banco Farmaceutico are insufficient to fully meet the chronic and acute treatment needs (e.g., antibiotics, burn treatments) and basic medical items (e.g., wound dressing materials, baby care products). This donation will provide funds to purchase and distribute 62,818 packages of essential health goods (including OTC and ethical drugs, medical devices, and hygiene products) to 184 affiliated welfare institutions serving approximately 220,000 people in need in a 12-month period.

After a 13-hour day in the office Monday, we flew to Vienna to meet Elder and Sister Muehlmann. Our mission? A 650-kilometer round-trip road trip through three Austrian cities to visit seven Caritas Centers. At each location we included local members of our church who were looking for opportunities for members of their congreations to serve in their communities. Elder and Sister Muehlmann will continue next week to visit three more facilities in Innsbruck and Dornbirn. We will then develop a nationwide project for the homeless in Austria. We love the time we spend with the Muehlmanns.

DAY 1: VIENNA

Signe Lassl (Austria Communication Director from our church) and Isabella Schwarzenberger (from Caritas) joined us for the day.

Haus Immanuel-MUKI (mutters und kinder)

This residential home for 21 mothers and their children provides a safe place for families while they seek healing and can find a job and transition into their own apartment. They need kitchen appliances and washing machines.

Die Gruft

This emergency shelter provides beds for 60 people each night and prepares 300 meals a day for the homeless. They need shade blinds for their main gathering room.

DAY 2: GRAZ

Kevin Schaffner (local Elders Quorum president from our church) and Christian Perkounig (from Caritas) joined us for the day.

Arche 38

This emergency shelter has space for 31 homeless men to sleep. It is open from 7pm to 10am and serves dinner and breakfast to ‘guests’. They are requesting curtains that will be hung between beds to provide some privacy. Kevin came two weeks ago with colleagues from his office to build the bed frames where the curtains will hang. During the day this facility offers a social contact center where people can come to shower and wash clothes. Last year 1000 people took advantage of having a PO Box Number here. An address is necessary to connect to any social services offered by the city.

Ressidorf

This residential facility for the homeless is in need of new toilets and washbasins in their bathrooms and a wheelchair ramp to one of the houses. 21 men live here in a village atmosphere. Most residents suffer from alcohol dependence.

Lerncafe

This learning café is a place where 26 children, ages 6-13 come after school for help with homework, to prepare for tests, and to learn German. A teacher and a social worker are supported by eight volunteers each week. These families have immigrated from Russia, Türkiye, Egypt, Syria, and Afghanistan. These darling children prepared sandwiches for us. Caritas sponsors four other learning cafes in the city. They need new tables and chairs for the children’s workspace. When we heard that they will be moving a few blocks away to a new location this summer Kevin offered men from our local church congregation to help them move boxes. There is a joke in the US that Elders Quorum members spend a lot of time helping people move- it’s the same in Austria! When this offer was made, the site director got teary and the Caritas representative said, “There are no coincidences.” Truly we felt the spirit so strongly as the timing was perfect to connect these organizations with the helping hands of our local members. That is one of the magic parts of humanitarian projects.

House FranzisCa

This shelter and shared accommodation for women and children is a place that provides a living space while they seek asylum. This facilitys needs include stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines. Three upstairs floors house 49 women from Somalia, Syria, Nigeria, and Ukraine. The basement space is a homeless shelter with space for 20 women.

DAY 3: KLAGENFURT

Morning Walk around Lake Worthersee

Regina Schaunig, Primary President and public relations director for her stake, joined us for this visit.

Eggerheim

This day care center for the homeless is the only one for 100 km. This center has space for 45 people to spend the night. More than 800 people each year find a warm meal, a social worker who helps connect them to available social services, and companionship in a safe environment. The needs in this location include shelving to organize clothing distribution, new sofas, and bedding for 40 beds.

It is such an incredible experience to meet with people who have devoted their lives to caring for the vulnerable in their communities. They give up higher paying jobs and find fulfillment as they follow their service hearts. There are so many good people in the world doing good things to serve others! Truly, it is a joyful privilege to fulfill our divine responsibility to care for those in need.

Palatschinken (thin pancakes or crepes- savory & sweet) and Nockerl (souffle)

Other Amazing Austrian Aliments

Before heading back to the airport in Vienna we drove for an hour over the Karawanken mountain range (part of the eastern Alps) to see beautiful Bled, Slovenia. We were just there long enough to taste the famous Bled cream cake at the Park Café. What a view!

Impromptu Saturday dinner at Hadley’s with Elder and Sister Irwin who are on their way home to England from Uzbekistan. They have been teaching English there. Hadley’s have a tradition of eating dessert first.

We got back to Germany in time to attend a multi-stake conference in Wiesbaden where Elder Gong was presiding. He spoke to us on Pentecost Sunday, and the spirit was poured out upon us. We are so thankful to have a prophet and apostles living on the earth today! We saw the Mullers at conference. (Josh’s mission family)