When the banker helps homeless people

Around 37,000 children and young people live on the streets in Germany.

The reasons and causes for this are manifold. With the Freiburg Street School project, SOS Children's Villages has been helping homeless children and young people in Freiburg, Germany, for years. The project includes numerous needs-oriented aid measures. It is a contact point for homeless people to give them a retreat from the public. They can wash their clothes there, take a shower, cook a hot meal or rest on the sofa.

In addition, the SOS social workers carry out outreach work on the streets as part of the project, in addition to the fixed drop-in centre. They go where the young people are during the day and provide immediate and flexible counselling on the spot.

Another measure is that once a month a banker offers debt counselling and a public prosecutor - both on a voluntary basis - offers legal counselling. In this way, the young people manage to give perspectives again.

Together with a charitable foundation from Liechtenstein, we were able to provide substantial support for this project and ensure the maintenance of the flat, which serves as a contact point.