Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
A cafe in the Austrian city of Vienna is giving the elderly a chance to find empowerment and companionship, creating an atmosphere that helps foster intergenerational dialogue.
The Vollpension Cafe is mostly staffed with people older than 60. It is a popular spot for youngsters and adults.
“People in old age often end up lonely and with very low income that leads to their alienation in urban society,” explained David Haller, one of the young founders of Vollpension. “Through simply baking cakes, [our elderly employees] become a part of the social structure again.”
The cafe’s menu has old Viennese recipes that have been passed down for generations.
“[The elderly make] certain types of cakes that you don’t get in high-end cafes but just at home ... At Vollpension, we are trying to recreate that feeling,” Haller said.
