This shared commitment brings together the Vienna Family Network and Sonneninsel Seekirchen, a charity supporting families facing childhood cancer, during some of life’s most challenging moments.
VFN Charity Liaison Team, Laura Alvarez (left) and Patrycja Gorol (right) with Sonneninsel Managing Director Martina Weber (centre).
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, everyday life changes overnight. Hospital routines, uncertainty, and emotional strain quickly become part of daily life. In these moments, places of refuge are not a luxury; they are essential. This is where Sonneninsel Seekirchen, a charity supporting families facing childhood cancer, plays a vital role.
This shared commitment unites the Vienna Family Network (VFN) and Sonneninsel Seekirchen, two organisations dedicated to strengthening families during some of life’s most challenging moments.
A visit to support Sonneninsel Seekirchen charity in 2025
In January 2025, the VFN Charity Liaison Team travelled to Sonneninsel to personally hand over the donation raised by the community during 2025. Thanks to strong member engagement, VFN raised an impressive €14,962 in support of Sonneninsel.
The visit was not only an opportunity to deliver the donation formally, but also a chance for the VFN team to learn more about the centre, its facilities, and the meaningful work carried out there every day.
Warm welcome at Sonneninsel Seekirchen charity centre
The delegation was welcomed by Martina Weber, Sonneinsel Managing Director, who guided the group through the centre and shared insights into its structure and mission. Martina, who has led the organisation since 2015, explained how Sonneninsel was inaugurated in 2013 after two to three years of construction. The centre is operated as a non-profit charitable organisation and is fully funded by donations, with all family stays offered free of charge.
From the beginning, the vision was to create a protected environment where families affected by childhood cancer could find rest, strength, and time together, during treatment, after treatment, and even after the devastating loss of a child. At any given time, Sonneninsel hosts around ten to twelve families, usually accommodating between fifteen and twenty children. The building itself provides generous living and communal spaces where families can stay together while also connecting with others facing similar experiences.
The architectural design also plays an important role. Built in a four-wing layout surrounding a quiet inner courtyard (inspired by the structure of a cloister) the building creates a protected and peaceful atmosphere. Dedicated rooms for creative activities, including a pottery workshop and creative studio, provide space for therapeutic and recreational programs.
During the tour, Martina explained how the house was carefully designed to support both privacy and community. The centre offers generous living space and accommodates families in comfortable double rooms, allowing them to stay together while being surrounded by others who understand their experiences. Communal areas such as a dining room, library, lounge with fireplace, and meeting rooms encourage exchange and connection among families during their stay.
A place for rest, recovery, and connection
One of the most striking aspects of Sonneninsel is how thoughtfully the entire environment is designed around the needs of families. The building itself is constructed as a barrier-free timber structure and is surrounded by expansive outdoor grounds that invite families to spend time in nature.
Far removed from the clinical atmosphere of hospitals, the centre provides a place where families can slow down and regain a sense of normalcy. Children can play outside, parents can take quiet walks, and families can share time together in a peaceful setting.
Inside the house, creative and therapeutic activities form an important part of the program. Children can participate in painting sessions, pottery workshops, and games that allow them to express their emotions and connect with other children who share similar experiences. These activities help create moments of joy and a normal childhood amid the challenges of illness.
Daily life at the centre is supported by an in-house team. Meals are freshly prepared using regional and seasonal ingredients, while housekeeping and laundry are handled on site. These details help create a calm and supportive environment where families can focus on rest, healing, and time together.
Supporting families affected by childhood cancer
Sonneninsel’s work also recognises that serious illness affects the entire family. Parents are offered space to rest, connect with other families, and receive support during an emotionally demanding time.
The centre also provides therapeutic programs specifically for parents who have lost a child to illness, an especially sensitive and important aspect of its work that offers room for grief, remembrance, and healing.
Community support behind Sonneninsel Seekirchen
Over the past year, the Vienna Family Network community came together through various initiatives to support Sonneninsel’s work. The result, €14,962 raised in 2025, demonstrates the power of a committed and caring community.
“As an organisation built by and for families, we strongly believe in standing together when it matters most,” said Oana Maria Miruta, President of the Vienna Family Network. “Supporting Sonneninsel Seekirchen is deeply aligned with our values – it is about compassion, solidarity, and ensuring that families facing childhood cancer feel seen, supported, and not alone. We are proud of what our community has achieved together in 2025, and also honoured to be part of Sonneninsel’s story.”
For Sonneninsel, the visit and the donation represented far more than financial support. As Martina Weber emphasised during the visit, gestures like these demonstrate the power of community and solidarity.
“This support is far more than a donation,” she explained. “It shows what can happen when people stand up for one another and do not lose sight of families during the most challenging phases of life.”
Strength through community and continued support
The funds raised by VFN will go directly toward Sonneninsel’s programs, helping ensure that families continue to receive comprehensive support in a place designed to provide stability, comfort, and renewed strength.
For the VFN Charity Liaison Team, the January visit offered something equally valuable: the opportunity to witness firsthand the impact of their community’s efforts and to better understand the profound difference Sonneninsel makes in the lives of families facing childhood cancer.
The funds raised by VFN will directly support Sonneninsel Seekirchen’s work as a charity supporting families facing childhood cancer, helping ensure that families continue to find care, stability, and renewed strength in a place designed for healing.
Learn more about the Vienna Family Network’s community initiatives
and find out more about our VFN Charity of 2026: Momo!
