“Vollpension” a place to be
Today I want to talk about a social innovation from Austria called “Vollpension”. I first came across café when I moved to my new apartment in the 4th district in vienna. As I am kind of an coffee addict, I always try out new cafés. And as it was situated right across my flat, naturally, it was the first spot to try. One think I noticed while ordering was that only old people where working there. Not old like 50+ but more like the age of my grandmother so 70+. Then I talked to one of the lovely old ladies there and she told me that after retirement she needed something to do and she loved cooking/baking. As the line was quite busy she told me to order also the freshly made “Buchteln” with Vanilla Sauce. So good!
After enjoying the coffee and the “Buchteln” I did some research. Which turns out that this “Vollpensoin” initiative combines a café environment with a social enterprise model to address several societal challenges. By employing elderly individuals, Vollpension aims to combat old-age poverty and loneliness among seniors by providing them with an opportunity to earn additional income and integrate into a supportive social structure. This approach, in my opinion, not only helps in improving their often insufficient pension payments but also promotes intergenerational dialogue and community bonding over the shared experience of baking and enjoying handmade pastries. So, Vollpension operates with a clear intention to create a welcoming space for people from different backgrounds to feel good and dine well.
It embodies a social business model, balancing social objectives with financial sustainability. By doing so, it increases the disposable income of participating seniors by an average of 40%, highlighting the significant impact on combating old-age poverty in Austria.
Moreover, the project actively works towards reducing the growing gap between generations by fostering meaningful interactions between the young and old.In summary, Vollpension represents a multifaceted approach to social innovation, addressing critical issues of old-age poverty, loneliness, and the generational divide through its unique café and baking school model. Needless to say, I became a regular there.
