8 ways you can help homeless people during Corona
This article refers to the support of homeless people during the peak of the Corona pandemic in 2020 and is therefore unfortunately not completely up-to-date.
However, under the following link you will find an updated overview of cold aid support options including emergency numbers, places for monetary and in-kind donations as well as selected homeless aid projects where you can directly sign up for a volunteering opportunity.
The original article from 2020
The streets in the cities are pretty much empty due Corona pandemic. But those who cannot retreat are people without shelter. At the same time, however, these people belong to the largest risk group, as many of them have serious health problems but hardly any access to the supply system. In addition, it has just become more difficult for many homeless people to meet at least their basic needs – nobody hears the request for some small change in empty streets.
Therefore we would like to show you in this blog post how you can support homeless people with monetary and in-kind donations, through initiatives like the #Soliküche, #hotelsforhomeless or the Schlafplatzorga, but also by getting active with gift fences or for the “Kältebus” and with the signing of petitions.
1 | SUPPORT WITH A MONETARY DONATION
NEEDED: DONATION FOR DAILY OPERATION
The Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe e.V. provides homeless people with a fresh meal and clothing during their aid tours, which will continue in Corona times.
If you would like to support the Homeless Aid with a monetary donation, you can do so via betterplace.org or with a bank transfer to the following account.
Account: Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe e. V.
IBAN: DE76 4306 0967 1213 2027 00
NEEDED: MONEY DONATION FOR STREET DONATION AND -SOUP FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE
StrassenBLUES e.V. is a non-profit organisation from Hamburg, Germany, which works for homeless people and fellow human beings.
Usually, you make donations to homeless people right on the street. Due to Corona, homeless people are receiving almost no donations and are barely making ends meet. Therefore you can now make your donation virtually. Voluntary “StrassenHELDEN” (street heroes) then distribute these in the form of €20 banknotes or vouchers to homeless people so that they can be helped immediately.
In addition, the association distributes a warm StrassenSUPPE (street soup) and informs people on the street with a Corona-Info-magazine. You would like to support this project?
NEEDED: DONATION FOR RUNNING COSTS
The Ginsheim-Gustavsburger Tafel e.V. supplies food to people in need every day.
Like many other Tafel in Germany, the Tafel in Ginsheim-Gustavsburg also has financial problems due to Corona. In order to minimize the risk of infection, it dispenses with the usual symbolic 2 Euros for food, but still has to cover the usual running costs. Every donation helps the Tafel!
Account: Ginsheim-Gustavsburger Tafel e.V.
IBAN: DE12 5086 2903 0001 8832 59
2 | SUPPORT WITH AN IN-KIND DONATION
NEEDED: DISPOSABLE CUPS, BOWLS AND CUTLERY, DISINFECTANT, PACKAGED FOOD PRODUCTS
The Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe e.V. provides homeless people with a fresh meal and clothing during their aid tours. Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday the team (and usually also many volunteers) is on the road. Right now, the tours are continued, but only by the core team and with special hygiene measures.
To make sure that the team is able to offer their guests food and drinks to-go without any closer contact, disposable cups, bowls and cutlery are required. Also highly desirable disinfectant and packaged food (cans, noodles, etc.) would be a great help.
Have you perhaps hoarded so much that your pantry bursts? Then please donate! ?
3 | #SOLIKÜCHE – BUY MEALS FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE AND PEOPLE IN NEED
#SOLIKÜCHE HAMBURG
The Kitchen Guerilla is a mobile cooking unit and creative agency for food from Hamburg.
Already at the beginning of the Corona Crisis they started the #SoliKüche, in which they prepare individually packed food packages for homeless people and those in need – each package contains a full meal and fresh fruit.
In the beginning, the resources for this were provided by solidary customers. But as the situation has become more and more acute, they now sell these solid-food packages online for 7€. This way, numerous meals can be passed on to people in need and with a small amount of the sales price, the existence of Kitchen Guerilla is secured and jobs are saved.
#SOLIKÜCHE BERLIN
The Speisekombinat is a 25-year-old family business in Berlin-Mitte, which had to temporarily close its restaurant due to the Corona crisis.
Following the example of the Kitchen Guerilla, you can now also buy meals for homeless people and those in need for 7€ via their online shop, while at the same time ensuring the survival of the business.
In order to adapt the meals in the best possible way, the dining hall is in contact with contact persons from different initiatives.
4 | “FEEDING” OR OPENING OF A GIFT FENCE
The corona pandemic is forcing more and more social facilities such as the Tafel, night cafés and soup kitchens to close for anti-infection reasons. That’s why many cities now have gift fences (the idea comes from the Hamburg Gabenzaun association), to which food, clothing and hygiene articles for homeless and poorer people can be “attached” (well packed).
On gabenzaun.de you can see in which cities and districts there are such fences and where there are still some needed. You can also get tips here and download all templates for setting up a donation fence (i.e. rules in multiple languages). If there is no gift fence in your area, you could set up a new one in your neighbourhood and enter it directly on gabenzaun.de! ?
5 | #HOTELSFORHOMELESS
StrassenBLUES e.V. is a non-profit organisation from Hamburg, Germany, which works for homeless people and fellow human beings.
Homeless people are currently particularly at risk due to the Corona pandemic, as emergency shelters with dozens of people in a confined space do not provide the necessary minimum distance and suitable isolation possibilities. At the same time, thousands of hotel rooms throughout Germany are empty. That is why the project #hotelsforhomeless was launched.
What can you do for it?
This project is only possible with the support of the respective municipalities and social authorities. Therefore, contact your social services and ask them to give their opinion on the safe accommodation of homeless people in your city. Sign the related petitions or share the pictures of the association in the social media with the hashtags #hotelsforhomeless and #letmebesafe.
6 | DIE SCHLAFPLATZORGA
TEMPORARY SLEEPING PLACES FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE AND MIGRANTS
Since 2014, die Schlafplatzorga and its supporters try to organise temporary accommodation for homeless, partly illegalised migrants in Berlin.
Especially now these people are defencelessly at the mercy of the virus and have nowhere to isolate themselves. Due to the mixing of many different people in the still open emergency shelters, there is also an increased danger of infection.
If you have a free sleeping possibility – no matter if, a bunk bed in the corridor, a sofa or even a free room and no matter if only for one or a few nights, your help is very welcome.
You can easily make an offer for a sleeping place by mail or by phone. If you have further questions (also regarding corona measures) they will be glad to answer them.
If you are not able to offer a place to sleep, but still want to support the organization, you can also support the sleeping place orga with a donation. Because beside finding sleeping places, the organisation also helps some of the people seeking shelter to cope with their rent. For this they are always looking for donations.
7 | KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THE “KÄLTEBUS”
The supply structure for the homeless has largely collapsed: soup kitchens, warming rooms, emergency accomodations have closed. Sources of income such as begging or collecting bottles are no longer available. At the same time, it is not advisable to supply people centrally because of the danger of infection. The Berliner Stadtmission has therefore decided to use its “Kältebus” to visit people locally during the day to provide them with the necessary supplies. For example, it is important to have something warm to eat!
In order to reach as many people as possible, they need your help. Write an email to kaeltebus@berliner-stadtmission.de and let them know where homeless people stay during the day, where they have their camp, etc., so that the “Kältebus” can directly drive to these places.
8 | SIGN PETITIONS
CLOSED FOOD BANK – 100 EURO IMMEDIATE AID FOR POOR POEPLE IN THE CORONA CRISIS!
The German government is currently doing everything feasible to overcome the corona crisis with the help of rapid and unbureaucratic aid packages. Unfortunately, however, this affects millions of people who were in need even before the crisis and are now facing even greater hardship.
Food Banks, soup kitchens and free and cheap catering in day-care centres and schools must now close due to corona. For the millions of people whose supply system depends of these facilities, Germany now needs a corona rescue package so that those people in need can be provided with additional money for groceries on a fast track.
For this reason, the responsible federal ministers are now appealed to pay affected households 100 euros per person per month in addition to basic income support until the end of the crisis. Stand up for the #CoronaSurcharge by signing the petition!
IMMEDIATE DECENTRALISED ACCOMMODATION FOR ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE – BERLIN
Homeless people are currently particularly at risk due to the Corona pandemic. As emergency shelters with dozens of people in a confined space do not provide the necessary minimum distance and suitable isolation possibilities. In addition, numerous cold aid facilities already had to close or will close by the end of the winter season.
At the same time, thousands of hotel rooms all over Germany are empty. So they could offer possibilities for isolation and individual washing facilities.
For this reason, the AK-Wohnungsnot is calling for immediate hotel accommodations, permission to issue hotel vouchers, better protection for the employees in the cold aid, immediate testing in the facilities and the rapid acceptance of official applications.
IMMEDIATE DECENTRALISED ACCOMMODATION FOR ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE – HAMBURG
The Hamburger colleagues of GoBanyo, the Hamburger Gabenzaun e.V., the association Leben im Abseits e.V. and many others are making even more comprehensive demands to city of Hamburg. Support them!
#LEAVENOONEBEHIND: PREVENT THE CORONA CATASTROPHE NOW – EVEN AT THE BORDERS!
The media influence to a large extent which topics, especially emergencies, are currently predominant in the world. Because of Covid-19, the suffering of people who have experienced violence and humanitarian disasters, has largely been forgotten.
Right now, it is immensely important that we all stick together according to the motto #leavenoonebehind, because Covid-19 does not distinguish by skin color, religion or gender.
This is why the EU Commission and EU governments are demanding the following: 1. evacuation of the overcrowded refugee camps, 2. access to medical care fore homeless people and refugees and 3. humanitarian and financial support.
You would like to use the time to support more petitions? In our blog “7 petitions that you should sign in Corona times” you will find more suggestions!
We’ll keep you up to date
Through our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) we provide daily updates. Furthermore we keep you up to date on interesting projects and the latest needs of the world of volunteering.
If you yourself work for an NPO that also needs support, or if you know of a project in the field of supporting the homeless people, then let us know and write a short mail to rebekka.hesse@vostel.de! 🙂
Your team from vostel.de
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