Press Release 4th August 2025

More than 2,200 snack bags for disadvantaged schoolchildren: BILLA supports the summer weeks of Teach For Austria and Hobby Lobby for the 5th time

The non-profit educational initiative Teach For Austria has been committed to greater educational equity in Austria since 2012 – among other things, through the summer weeks, which are held annually with the Vienna Hobby Lobby, providing targeted learning support for children and young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. For the 5th time, the grocery retailer BILLA supports the initiative with free healthy snacks for the participants. This year, more than 2,200 snack packages were prepared by employees in the BILLA stores.

Four people standing in front of a building holding boxes with "Wiener Box" written on them. The building has ivy-covered walls and several windows. They are smiling and dressed in casual attire.

Hanna Kropfitsch (Project Management Teach For Austria), Stefan Weinlich (BILLA Sales Director), Verena Hohengasser (Head of Training, Coaching & Program Development, Teach For Austria), and Rosa Bergmann (CEO & Founder, Hobby Lobby) were pleased with the BILLA snack bags for the students during the summer weeks. / Copyright: © BILLA AG / Robert Harson, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

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At a glance

Hobby Lobby and Teach For Austria offered free learning weeks for students from socio-economically disadvantaged families from July 21 to July 31, 2025.
BILLA was involved in the learning weeks for the 5th time, providing around 245 participating children and young people with a healthy snack for free.
On nine days, BILLA and BILLA PLUS employees prepared more than 2,200 snack bags filled with rolls, fruit, and muesli bars in three stores.

This year, over 2,200 snack packages were prepared by employees in the BILLA stores located on Quellenstraße (Favoriten), Donaufelderstraße (Floridsdorf), and BILLA PLUS at Rochusplatz (Landstraße), filled with fresh snacks such as rolls, fruit, and muesli bars. The Teach For Austria staff then delivered these packages to the participating schools, which are only a few minutes away.

BILLA Sales Director Stefan Weinlich visited MS Hörnesgasse: “Supporting the summer weeks of Teach For Austria and the Vienna Hobby Lobby has become a tradition for us. The participating schools are located in close proximity to our stores – so it's natural for us to strengthen community ties with actions like this. We hope that all participants were able to make important learning progress and wish them all the best for the upcoming school year.”

Rosa Bergmann, CEO of Hobby Lobby, said: “We are very happy to have found a long-term partner in BILLA, who supports us during the summer weeks. The healthy snack packages have served the participating children and young people well while learning. We greatly appreciate this reliable commitment and thank everyone involved who contributed to the success of the learning weeks this year.”

These were the summer weeks of Teach For Austria and Hobby Lobby 2025

From July 21 to July 31, around 245 participating students were taught at MS Hörnesgasse in the 3rd district, MS Quellenstraße in the 10th district, and MS Kinzerplatz in the 21st district. The program included subjects such as English, German, and Mathematics. In the afternoons, all participants enjoyed a diverse range of leisure activities – including football, basketball, acting, or street art. The focus was not only on fun but also on enhancing the individual potentials of the students.