A hot lunch that more than fills you up

A hot lunch sounds like something natural. Like everyday life, family, being together. But for many children in Bremen, this is no longer a matter of course. Current studies show: One in four children in Bremen is at risk of poverty. Overall, around 41 percent of children and young people live in an environment characterized by financial worries.

This means that Bremen has the highest figure of all German federal states. These figures have consequences: Poverty not only affects everyday life, but also children's health, educational opportunities and social participation, because those who have to worry about money often cut back on food first.

A place that warms: the family café at the heart of it all

In the middle of the SOS Children's Village Center Bremen is a place that has become a safe anchor for many families: the family café. Here, parents come together with their children, meet familiar faces, exchange ideas and find something that is missing in many households: a warm, affordable lunch.

For many families, eating together is no longer possible on a daily basis. Children feel this particularly keenly. Not only because they are hungry, but also because they lack a sense of security and normality.

So that children don't have to go without

Since 2021, SOS Children's Villages Bremen has been supporting families who are dependent on financial help. Parents pay a maximum of a third of the regular price in the family café. Children up to the age of six eat for free. In 2025 alone, 3,174 free lunches were served to children.

The figures from the previous year also clearly show how important this offer is: in 2024, over 14,000 reduced-price or free lunches were distributed in the Family Café. The trend in children's meals is particularly striking. Their share has risen by around 70% since 2022. Around 300 families with over 600 children currently use the lunch service. This clearly shows that demand is growing, and fast.

More than just food: A piece of dignity in everyday life

The lunch table is much more than just a meal. For many families, it is a place where they feel welcome, where they are not looked at in a strange way and where they belong. Here, parents can not only provide their children with a hot lunch, but sometimes even treat themselves to a coffee or a piece of cake.

For many, this is a small piece of normality that otherwise has no place in everyday life. These are small moments that show that they are also part of this society.

So that the offer can remain

The aim of the project is clear: low-income families should have permanent access to a hot, healthy lunch. The funding is intended to ensure that children up to the age of six can continue to eat for free and parents only have to pay a third of the regular price.

Families can thus be noticeably relieved and meals can be prevented from being skipped or severely restricted. The daily feedback shows: This service is indispensable. SOS Children's Villages is dependent on funding to ensure that the service can continue. The family café should remain a place that fills people up, warms them up and brings them together.

For further information and donation options, please contact us .