Starting school is not affordable for many families in Austria
The start of a new school year means an enormous financial burden for low-income families. The aid organizations Caritas and the Samaritans Association organized campaigns and called for donations. “Although there is currently additional state support, we see that the situation for many families is now becoming increasingly difficult,” said Klaus Schwertner, Managing Director of Caritas Vienna.
A starter package for the start of school costs Caritas up to 300 euros in regular shops. “Many families cannot afford that, especially since there are additional costs, such as school trips and copying money or tuition,” it said in a press release on Monday. The temperature further exacerbates the situation. “If there is now talk of price caps for electricity and gas, a sustainable cap is also needed in the field of education. Because education must remain affordable even in times of record inflation,” says Schwertner,
In order to cushion the situation, the students of “youngCaritas” started a large collection of school supplies before the summer. “9,195 schoolchildren in Vienna and Lower Austria set an important example and collected school materials for children and young people in our facilities. 56 schools donated several hundred school bags and thousands of pencils, pens, exercise books, rulers and handicraft cases,” says Alice Uhl, head of youngCaritas. At the same time, the population was called upon to donate well-preserved school supplies to the various Caritas centres. “Demand is significantly greater than supply,” said Schwertner.
The Samaritan Association also called for donations. “Whether for the children from our LernLEOs, our refugee aid facilities, but also from the families who come to the social markets for social counseling – we want to support these families and make it easier for them to start school. We urgently need donations to help simply and unbureaucratically,” says Oliver Löhlein, Managing Director of the Vienna Samaritan Association. Monetary donations would make it possible to obtain vouchers and school materials and to distribute them specifically to children from families affected by poverty. In addition, donations in kind such as school bags and backpacks, but also work cases, gym bags or stationery or vouchers from stationery shops are gladly accepted.
(SERVICE: Information on donation possibilities of Caritas: carla-wien.at and wirhelfen.shop. Samaritan Union: samariterwien.at