New care center in Döbling: St. Elisabeth Foundation takes off!

New care center in Döbling: St. Elisabeth Foundation takes off!

There is a spirit of optimism in Döbling: The St. Elisabeth Foundation of the Archdiocese of Vienna has announced that it will significantly expand its care and housing offerings from autumn 2025. Glanzinggasse 12 will now offer numerous educational and leisure activities to improve the living conditions of families. This commitment is aimed particularly at pregnant women, homeless people and single mothers with children. In addition, housing projects and additional care services are provided in other districts of Vienna, which underlines the foundation's important role in family policy. Loud meinkreis.at The new facility will include a wide range of learning support, psychotherapy and social counseling as well as workshops on violence prevention and digitalization.

The newly opened Collegiality Refuge in Döbling is particularly pleasing. Here, people of all ages – from children to seniors – can access a wide range of leisure activities, including yoga and other health-promoting offerings. Run by the St. Elisabeth Foundation, this retreat is a welcome addition to the local community longing for contemplative and supportive spaces.

Visit from federal politicians

On Friday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Federal Minister Susanne Raab visited the Mother and Child House of the St. Elisabeth Foundation in Vienna. There they were guided through the various areas of the facility by managing director Nicole Meissner, which looks after homeless single parents and their children. During this visit, Nehammer and Raab handed out gifts to the residents and their children, which underlines the government's appreciation and support for the foundation's work. Nehammer acknowledged the important role the foundation plays for pregnant women and single mothers, while Raab praised the comprehensive approach to help that paves the way for women and children to become self-sufficient.

The St. Elisabeth Foundation has continuously expanded its offerings in recent years. In 2022 alone, two of their residential projects were officially recognized as funded mother-child facilities. This makes the foundation the largest provider of such facilities in Vienna. Around 100 single parents and more than 150 children find a new home in the foundation's five mother-child houses, where they receive intensive care until they have their own apartment. In addition, work integration projects such as “Mama's Workshop” offer support in finding a job.

Support for homeless families

An additional offer for homeless families is the so-called StartUp apartments, which are provided by organizations such as the M.U.T. association. be provided. These apartments offer an affordable home and, accompanied by social workers, the transition to a stable living situation is designed sensitively and needs-oriented. The focus here is on values ​​such as voluntariness, participation and individually tailored offers of help. Each unit of these emergency shelters is equipped with its own kitchen and toilet to meet the needs of the families, as can be read on the association's website.

These initiatives are intended not only to create a safe roof over one's head, but also to promote the independence of families. In times when the demand for supportive forms of housing and care is high, the commitment of the St. Elisabeth Foundation and its partners is indispensable for the community in Vienna.