S IMMO extends Caritas collaboration

Corporate news

In line with the motto “providing shelter”, the stock exchange listed company S IMMO AG has been supporting Caritas projects in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria since 2008. This collaboration will continue in 2015 as well. In addition, S IMMO supported the Caritas initiative “Schenken mit Sinn” (Give with sense) as part of its 2014 Christmas campaign.

“The projects we’ve selected focus on regions in which we do business. We want to give something back to society and provide assistance for disadvantaged children and youths in Romania and Hungary as well as for elderly people in Bulgaria. Long-term collaboration is important to us in everything we do – also when it comes to our social projects. Because this is the only way to make effective, lasting improvements,” emphasised Friedrich Wachernig, Member of S IMMO AG’s Management Board.

S IMMO is also planning additional corporate volunteering projects for 2015 in which S IMMO employees will provide support to a Caritas organisation for a day.

 


The Caritas projects in detail:

Hope House in Romania
Caritas has been operating four Hope Houses for orphaned children and youths in the Romanian city of Alba Iulia since 2000. The goal of the project is to offer young people a safe home and positive prospects for the future as well as to support them in their integration into society. In addition, a counselling centre was founded in 2010 that accompanies young people along their path to independence. A professional team of psychologists and social workers helps them to find work and a permanent place to live, and also assists with official business as well as legal and psychological matters.

A future for children in Hungary
Another project supported by S IMMO AG is a community centre in the Hungarian city of Esztergom that has been operated by Caritas since 2002. The goal of the project is to improve the living conditions and future prospects of Romani children through education. In total, the centre serves around 90 children and youths along with their families. The centre concentrates on helping young people to successfully complete their schooling.

Ageing with dignity in Bulgaria
Roughly 90% of the inhabitants of the Bulgarian village of Pokrovan are over the age of 70. There is no city nearby, and the village is completely isolated in winter. The majority of the residents lives alone and has to get by on very small minimum pensions that are often not even enough to cover the barest necessities. For this reason, Caritas operates a day centre and a soup kitchen in this village and arranges medical care for the elderly population, all with the support of S IMMO AG. Mobile teams also provide assistance to ill or bedridden persons.