Winter cold in Vienna: Caritas warns of growing homelessness!

Winter cold in Vienna: Caritas warns of growing homelessness!

In Austria, Caritas alerts the rising figures of homeless people in winter. At a press appointment in the Vienna homeless institution Gruft, Caritas director Klaus Schwertner said that the demand for support services remains high. "Around 21,000 people are currently homeless or homeless," emphasized Schwertner and warned of the dangerous effects of the cold for these people. Despite existing emergency quarters, many people are on the street and the winter heat is particularly dangerous for them. According to the Schwertner, the utilization figures in emergency accommodation are up to 98 percent. "We have to act immediately to save lives," he appealed. Caritas and the actor Karl Markovics rely on more solidarity in this critical period.

high willingness to donate and winter packages

Since the start of the Initiative for the crypt winter package at the end of November, over 1,000 packages have already been donated, which Schwertner describes as overwhelming. The campaign is supported by Ö3 moderator Robert Kratky, who has heavily advertised the fundraising campaign on his social platforms. "It is impressive how fast and numerous support for homeless people was made," said Schwertner and thanked Kratky and his community for her help. This is intended to distribute winter -proof sleeping bags and meals to the needy, while the emergency sleeping points in Vienna are busy up to 95 percent due to the cold. A winter package costs 70 euros and contains a sleeping bag and seven warm meals. Caritas has already received 3,100 calls via the refrigeration telephone, which represents a significant increase compared to the previous year. Here, 102 people were conveyed in emergency accommodation. Homeless.