Warm Rooms, Chat Network, Cold Phone: Caritas Also Helps Around Christmas

The Christmas season can be stressful - especially when one feels lonely. The Caritas chat network is open to everyone daily from 10 am to 10 pm over the holidays at the number 05 1776 100. Volunteer chat partners take the time to talk and listen to callers during the holidays.

Increase in Chat Network Calls During Winter Months

During the dark season, Caritas records an increase in inquiries to the chat network, and particularly towards the end of the year, a high number of calls is expected. Since the establishment of the chat network by Caritas in cooperation with Magenta and the Kronen Zeitung in April 2020, over 54,000 conversations have been conducted - equivalent to 1,400,000 minutes of chatting and listening.

Christmas Celebration in Caritas' Warming Rooms

The parish warming rooms of Caritas remain open over the Christmas holidays. This winter, a total of 42 parishes have provided their premises, with 1,250 volunteers in action.

"The warming rooms have become an important point of contact for our guests during the cold season. They offer a chance to warm up, have a small bite to eat, and exchange with others," says Klaus Schwertner, Caritas Director of the Archdiocese of Vienna. In addition to homeless people, families or minimum pensioners are increasingly taking advantage of the offer - for example, because they can no longer adequately heat their homes.

On December 24th, two warming rooms are open in Vienna:

Christmas Help for Homeless People

"Even on Christmas, there are people sleeping on the streets. That's why the cold telephone at 01/4804553 remains reachable around the clock," explains Schwertner. The Caritas street work teams are on duty every day to provide homeless people with winter-proof sleeping bags or to bring them to emergency shelters. All emergency shelters in Vienna offer warm sleeping places, meals, and day stays 24 hours a day.

On Christmas Eve, something special is prepared in many places: In the Gruft, there is traditionally a Christmas meal with schnitzel and potato salad, as well as small gifts for the guests. The Caritas soup buses are also reliably on the road during the holidays to distribute warm meals.

Support Caritas at Christmas

The warming rooms, the Canisibus, the Gruft, and many other Caritas aid offers can still be supported just before Christmas. Anyone who wants to help can choose an action in the wirhelfen.shop and bring joy to people in need at Christmas.

(Red)

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