Help for the homeless: Caritas fights against the cold in Vienna!

Help for the homeless: Caritas fights against the cold in Vienna!

The cold season is a dangerous challenge for homeless people in Austria. Caritas reports that snow and minus degrees can lead to serious injuries. According to Caritas President Nora Tödtling Musenbichler, homeless people are defenselessly delivered extreme weather conditions during the winter months. Temperatures just above freezing can be life -threatening for people without adequate clothing or sleeping places. In order to ensure survival in winter, Caritas offers numerous offers of help, which include, among other things, refrigeration and emergency hotlines. In the winter of 2023/24, the Kältet telephone of Caritas already recorded 9,700 calls. The organization also operates Winterothilfe facilities in which homeless can find a safe place to sleep.

Extensive support for needy

Caritas has used mobile street work teams who are traveling with cold buses. They distribute warm meals, drinks, blankets and cold -winged sleeping bags. Medical and psychological help is also quickly offered on site. These comprehensive support measures are only possible through the tireless use of Caritas employees. In order to improve support, the refrigeration phone numbers can be easily saved in the cell phone, while the platform www.fuereinand.at also provides information about donations and other help offers.

In addition to these acute offers of help, Caritas President Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa recently signed the "Aachen explanation", which defined justice, solidarity and reconciliation as a necessary prerequisites for peace and social cohesion. This declaration arises from an initiative of the Caritas Association for the Diocese of Aachen and the German Caritas Association and is expected to be worn to the outside world. Stephan Jentgens, Diocesan Caritas Director, emphasizes that many global conflicts from injustices and fights result in resources. Due to the “Aachen explanation”, Caritas wants to continue to act as a lawyer for the needy and strengthen social dialogue.