Eat.
For the first time since Corona, the Christmas party for Essen’s homeless people took place in the hall again. Many of the guests have experienced bad things.
- After two years outdoors, the Christmas party for the homeless back in the hall.
- Over 100 guests attended and enjoyed themselves Goulash soup and waffles taste.
- Many suffer from diseases and loneliness.
For two years, the traditional Christmas party for homeless and formerly homeless people because of Corona took place outdoors. Now, for the first time, there was a festival in the parish hall of St. Gertrud in downtown Essen. A good 100 guests accepted the offer, wanting to forget the cold and worries for a few hours. Many of them have a moving story.
Some of the guests who take a seat at the festively set tables on this Christmas Eve now have an apartment. But most people know the situation of not knowing where to sleep at night and protect themselves against the winter cold. Many seek warmth, sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively.
Essen’s Christmas party for the homeless has a long tradition
Like 71-year-old Helmhard, who appreciates the cozy atmosphere, the community at the party and enjoys the goulash soup. He has an apartment, but doesn’t want to be alone at Christmas and therefore gladly accepts the invitation from Diakonie and Caritas.
Everyday life is even more difficult for Joachim (50). Although the homeless person occasionally stays with friends or colleagues, he is urgently looking for his own apartment. Why did he lose his home? “Rental debts,” he says. The story behind it is dramatic. His fiancee died, he then threw himself into work, worked for a security service. “Then I passed out at work.” Heart attack, stroke, unemployment – Joachim hasn’t experienced many good things in recent years, but he doesn’t give up.
Just like Petra (64). Her ordeal began early. “When I was eight, my mother just kicked me out because she had another man. She didn’t even pick me up from school,” says Petra, who now shares an apartment with her brother. At that time she slept in an old bunker in Stoppenberg and struggled through on her own.
Many guests have no contact with their families
At 17 she was pregnant for the first time, had a total of eight children from two men, four boys and four girls who grew up with foster parents – “because I was supposedly a danger to them because of my epileptic seizures,” says Petra and shrugs armpits. “I rarely have contact with my children and six grandchildren, they don’t want that, although I would have liked to sit down with them to talk about everything.”
Gianna (58) also has a family, but also “only on paper”, as she says. Because of problems with alcohol and drugs, she lost her apartment. “Fortunately only briefly, and that was a long time ago. It is particularly bad for women to live on the street, always afraid of theft and rape.” The Diakonie helped her, now she is trying to help other victims herself. “If I have things left over, including clothes, I donate them.” The Christmas party for the homeless is an important thing, “against loneliness”.
As in previous years, Lord Mayor Thomas Kufen welcomed the guests and brought the city’s Christmas wishes. It is important to celebrate with “respect and dignity”. “Take care of yourself and your health,” he said. Deaconry pastor Andreas Müller and Franciscan Father Herrmann-Josef Schlepütz held a prayer service and sang Christmas carols with the guests.
Diakonie-Restaurant provided the food for the celebration
With goulash and potato soup, waffles and punch – delivered by the Diakonie restaurant Church – the homeless stayed together for a few hours and received a small gift bag with body care products, chocolate and more. RWE original Sandy Sandgathe performed the musical programme, while Rot-Weiss Essen’s Essen Chances presented the guests with gloves and, if desired, tickets for the stadium. The Johanniter support the implementation of the celebration, as well as numerous full-time and honorary helpers.
In order to be able to plan the celebration, the guests had to have a free admission ticket issued in advance at the central counseling center for homeless women and men in the Diakoniezentrum Mitte on Lindenallee. “We had over 100 registrations this year, 80 percent of the guests are men,” says Petra Fuhrmann, head of the outpatient help for the vulnerable and homeless at the Diakoniewerk and organizer of the event. The mood is good, people feel good, and that is crucial.
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