Press Release 9th December 2025

1 euro for a bowl of hot soup: Austria-wide BILLA fundraising campaign ‘A donation that fills you up’ for people in need gets underway

While many of us enjoy the festive season in the warmth with delicious food, there are people in Austria who cannot even afford one warm meal a day. According to EU-SILC 2024*, around 1.5 million people in Austria are affected by poverty, more than 340,000 of whom are children and young people under the age of 18. It is particularly difficult for single parents, pensioners on minimum pensions, the unemployed or sole earners in precarious employment to cover their living costs. The situation becomes even more acute for many around Christmas. For BILLA, supporting people in need in Austria is a matter close to our hearts.

Four people smiling in a grocery store aisle, holding packaged food items. A large banner beside them advertises a donation campaign for meals, with Red Cross branding. Shelves filled with various products are in the background.

(from left to right): Michael Opriesnig (Secretary General of the Austrian Red Cross), Nermina Milvo (BILLA Market Manager), Eva Kimmes (Austrian Red Cross) and Robert Nagele (BILLA Executive Board) are delighted about the launch of the Austria-wide fundraising campaign ‘A donation that feeds people’. / Copyright: © BILLA AG / Robert Harson, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

Download

At a glance

Customers can donate to the Austrian Red Cross and Hitradio Ö3's ‘Team Austria Table’ for people in need at all BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores until 24 December.
Even the minimum donation of €1 makes a difference and provides a child with a bowl of hot soup.
The total amount donated will be displayed daily on screens and steles in the stores.
Donations will be used to purchase basic foodstuffs and hygiene products and distributed directly to people in need via the distribution points of Team Österreich Tafel.

That is why the food retailer is once again running its successful fundraising campaign ‘A donation that feeds’ in cooperation with the Austrian Red Cross's ‘Team Österreich Tafel’ and Hitradio Ö3.

Donate at the BILLA checkout and secure basic foodstuffs for people in need

As part of the campaign, customers can donate directly at the checkout or via QR code in all BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores as well as at BILLA retailers until 24 December 2025. Even the minimum donation of one euro can provide a child with a bowl of warm soup. The total amount donated will be displayed daily on screens and steles in the stores to inform customers how much has already been donated. As a sign of solidarity, BILLA will increase the total amount donated by €5,000. The donations will be distributed in the form of basic foodstuffs and hygiene products directly to people in need in Austria via the distribution points of ‘Team Österreich Tafel’.

Robert Nagele, BILLA CEO: "For many people, Christmas is a difficult time when poverty and loneliness are particularly acute. That is why it is particularly important to us as the BILLA family to send a strong message of solidarity and to carry out our Austria-wide donation campaign again this year with the support of our customers. Even one euro can make a difference and help people in emergency situations. We appreciate your donation and would like to thank everyone who participates in the campaign in advance."

*Source Statistik Austria at Armut - STATISTIK AUSTRIA - Die Informationsmanager