Success stories

Doing good feels good.

• Volunteer work on the highest mountain farm in the Bernese Oberland

  

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  Environment

  As part of its Bergeinsatz project, Caritas Switzerland places volunteers with mountain farming families in need. Recently, Jürg Grossenbacher helped out on a farm in the Bernese Oberland.

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• Livestock protection program

  

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  Environment

  Chiara and Emma report on their unique volunteering experience with the livestock protection program run by the Oppal organization on the Pontimia alp. Continuous monitoring of sheep flocks keeps predators like wolves away. The aim is to achieve a more sustainable coexistence between pasture farmers and natural predators. Meeting shepherds helps volunteers understand the realities in the field and Switzerland’s wolf problem.

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• Tree hollow habitat

  

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  Environment

  The non-profit organization FREETHEBEES carves out tree hollows in forests to provide nesting sites for wild honeybees and a range of other endangered insects that dwell in the cavities of trees. The organization’s dedicated volunteers have learned how to carve out tree hollows (called a Zeidlerhöhle in German) into living trees. These cavities serve as a shelter for many different species in need of protection, such as wild honeybees, as well as a place for these species to feed and reproduce.

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• Experience running with other senses

  

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  Social issues

  The Association «Blind-Jogging» trains volunteers to be guides for the blind and help them to do sports in the fresh air. After completing a one-day training, they accompany visually impaired and blind people on a run once or twice a week.

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• Switzerland's first Snoezelen bus is a success

  

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  Volunteers spent a day converting an old van into a mobile Snoezelen station for children with autism. Everyone involved put their heart and soul into this project, and did so with plenty of love, kindness and good spirits. Thanks to the hard work of the entire team, what was once an old yellow bus is now a special place full of lights, sounds, scents and shapes. It is designed to help children and young people with autism to relax, dream and experience all of their senses. “We are so happy that we can now start using the bus,” says General Manager Sandra Kalbassi with a smile. “We are expanding our school over the summer and so we plan on providing a Snoezelen room for all the children we admit,” she explains.

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Other projects already implemented

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  Promoting biodiversity

  The Neeracherried provides a habitat for countless animals and plants – including native populations of national importance. The nature center in Neerach is dedicated to the conservation of habitats and biodiversity, and its focus is on raising awareness. “Many of us have a human-centered view and divide animals into those at are beneficial and those that are pests. But this ignores the natural cycle of nature,” says Stefan Heller, director of the nature center.

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  Crossing the Alps despite retinal disease

  Something that was Mario Kämpfen’s big dream six months ago has now become reality: to walk from the Simplon Pass to Lake Maggiore – despite his handicap. Mario and his colleague Andreas suffer from the eye disease retinitis pigmentosa (retinal degeneration) and have severely impaired vision.

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  Emotions at the Special Olympics National Summer Games 2022

  This year’s Special Olympics National Summer Games were held in St. Gallen from 16 to 19 June 2022. Numerous athletes with intellectual disabilities gave their all and fought tirelessly for medals in 14 sports.

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  Full of self-confidence thanks to mentoring

  On the path to a profession, young people must overcome a fair number of challenges. A volunteering project in canton Zug stands by their side. When she talks about her job, Basma Babeker’s entire face lights up: “I landed my dream apprenticeship!” Last summer, the 16-year-old from Eritrea began training as a dental assistant. She found the position with the help of MUNTERwegs, an association dedicated to bringing children and young people, whether from Swiss families or immigrant backgrounds, together with volunteers who act as mentors. This is how 49-year-old Franziska Filliger became Basma’s mentor for eight months, helping her to prepare and search for an apprenticeship. The Zug native is glad to have found the project at UBS Helpetica: “Working with young people is so rewarding. I believe that, as a society, we should pass on our experience to younger generations and support them.”

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  Volunteering in the reeds of Neeracherried

  On this nature outing, volunteers uprooted small willows and reed shoots in a restored area in order to keep a newly designed pond landscape from becoming overgrown again. The volunteers saw many rare plant species, dragonflies and birds, and enjoyed stimulating conversation. They were rewarded for their efforts with a guided tour of the nature reserve that included bird watching.

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  850 kg of food for people affected by poverty

  On 1 and 2 September, UBS Helpetica collected food on behalf of «Tischlein deck dich». A total of 850 kg of food was donated in front of UBS branches in Grenchen, Winterthur, Zug and Bellinzona for people in Switzerland affected by poverty. Bettina Vetsch, head of collection points and a member of the management at «Tischlein deck dich», adds: «On behalf of Tischlein deck dich, I would like to thank you very much for this great campaign. Not only was around 850 kg of food collected, but the campaign also prompted some enriching encounters and discussions about food waste, about people affected by poverty in Switzerland, and about why UBS is committed to helping the community.» Thanks to generous donations from passers-by and the efforts of the volunteers who signed up for the collection via UBS Helpetica, countless items of perfect, unrefrigerated, unopened food were received at the four locations. The food items will now be distributed by the «Tischlein deck dich» association to people affected by poverty throughout Switzerland.

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  Erecting wildlife fences in protective forests

  Due to the high number of deer, as well as damage caused by bark beetles in the mountain forests in the Grisons, a whole generation of trees is often missing – trees which are particularly important in times of climate change. For the planned new plantings of climate-adapted tree species, 10 motivated volunteers helped to erect three large wildlife protection fences for young trees. During three eventful days, the volunteers got to know the mountain forest and enjoyed some local delicacies.

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  Handling trash the smart way

  This year at the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park, the theme of the week from 12 to 18 April was “Handling trash the smart way.” Volunteers collected and disposed of trash correctly over the course of a full morning. Numerous volunteers, including UBS employees from the region, have been doing their bit to help keep the environment clean. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the staff at Pfyn-Finges were very grateful for all their hard work. Other projects such as removing invasive plant species are in the pipeline.

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  Field work on Alp Suretta

  Seven highly motivated volunteers pitched in on Alp Suretta under a clear blue sky. They worked together with farmers to clear fields and remove emerging green growth, fallen timber and avalanche debris. The volunteers spent the night in a tent on scenic Alp Suretta. Lastly, the group built a gate to welcome future hikers, farmers and cattle. The volunteers were enthusiastic and the farmers were grateful for their hard work. After enjoying some refreshing local products, the volunteers said goodbye and left with fond memories.

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  Conservation work at the Neeracherried Nature Reserve

  Volunteers spent a productive day at the Neeracherried Nature Reserve Center operated by BirdLife Switzerland. After a short welcome and introductory session about exactly which invasive plants needed to be removed, the diverse group of volunteers received the necessary tools. They enjoyed some stimulating discussions as they identified and removed the relevant plants. Following a short break, the volunteers were thanked for their efforts with a guided tour and bird watching session. As Stefan Hersberger, an employee at the Neeracherried center, commented: “Despite the wet, muggy weather, we were able to remove invasive plant species from an entire field. The atmosphere was really good and we had some really interesting conversations.”