10. “Grätzlmarie” projects: focus on community building

10.3 “Wir garteln” (Gardening Together)

Chancenhaus Obdach Favorita is a hostel that assists and accommodates homeless women and small families for up to three months. Residents and caregivers joined forces to plant fruit and vegetables in the inner courtyard. Youngsters learned to tend plants and respect nature, while families benefit from the vitamin-rich produce.

In 2023, numerous seats and additional raised beds were built and put up in the inner courtyard by residents of Obdach Favorita in co-operation with a socially committed carpenter. During the summer months, Ackerhelden – an enterprise advocating urban gardening for organic food – organised workshops on nature and the environment for the children staying at Obdach Favorita.

Gardening together at the Obdach Favorita hostel

Raised beds planted with vegetables in the inner courtyard

Fig. 46: Obdach Favorita: gardening together. Copyright: City of Vienna / Bojan Schnabl

Gardening together at the Obdach Favorita hostel, group photo

A group of young adults are sitting on wooden carpenter benches.

Fig. 47: Obdach Favorita: gardening together. Copyright: City of Vienna / Bojan Schnabl

PROJECT IDEA SUBMITTED BY: Volkshilfe Favoriten (charity), Chancenhaus Obdach Favorita
TOGETHER WITH: hostel residents (women and families), Ackerhelden
IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: April to September 2022 – ongoing and May to August 2023 – ongoing