How can I help people on the street in winter?

While many people snuggle up at home in winter, for others the cold becomes an ordeal. For homeless people in particular, the low temperatures can be life-threatening. If you want to help, you need to know how and where.

What help is available in Saxony?

In Saxony, winter and cold weather help is mainly organized by local organizations such as Diakonie, Caritas or Stadtmission. The help on offer includes day shelters, emergency accommodation and mobile soup kitchens. There are also municipal sleeping places, for which the city administration or social welfare office is usually responsible.

In Leipzig, a help bus takes people to emergency accommodation when needed. The helpers can be reached by telephone from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. A cold bus is also in operation in Chemnitz.

In Dresden, the night cafés for homeless people run by church communities are open from November to March, daily from 8 pm to 7 am. People in need can get something to eat and a place to sleep there. The Salvation Army distributes hot drinks and sleeping bags outside.

How can I help specifically?

"Always speak to the person first, that's really the be-all and end-all," says Rotraud Kießling, a consultant for emergency housing assistance at Diakonie Sachsen. You could ask: "How are you? Are you all right? Can I support you in any way?"

It is important not to do anything over the head of the person concerned. If they don't want to go to a shelter, you can offer to organize a blanket or a warm drink instead. "We don't have a central cold hotline in Saxony," says Kießling. In addition to the police, the emergency number 112 can be called in urgent emergencies.

Why is it so important to help?

"For the people living outside, this is a very serious emergency," explains Kießling. In order to accept help, they need to trust other people or existing services. "Unfortunately, they have often lost this trust," she says.

All people have the right to be housed in emergency accommodation by the city or municipality. The problem is that many tend to avoid such accommodation for fear of theft or assault. This is why it is so important to reach out to people in need and offer concrete help.