„We cannot turn a blind eye to the issue of homelessness.“

In the evening, various organisations gave presentations raising awareness about homelessness and highlighting the challenges of daily work. A double-digit number of sleeping bags and sleeping mats were donated to „Aus der Not Darmstadt e.V.“ (Darmstadt Emergency Association), and the proceeds of around 900 euros will go to the „Pfotenhilfe für Obdachlose“ (Paw Aid for the Homeless) association. The event demonstrated how shared experiences, information, and engagement can raise awareness of social issues while simultaneously doing good. Vice President Volker Harr emphasied the importance of this issue for SV 98: „As the city’s largest club, we also have a socio-political responsibility and care about everyone. Homelessness is part of that, and I, too, have learned a great deal since the last two events. We simply cannot turn a blind eye to this issue.“

The work of the animal welfare organisation Pfotenhilfe encompasses the full range of basic medical care for its animal patients, from treating acute ailments and providing ongoing therapy for chronic diseases to performing surgical procedures. To enable mobile veterinary care, the organisation acquired a former ambulance and converted it to meet the needs of a veterinary practice. The team regularly uses this vehicle to visit social institutions and facilities to conduct pre-arranged veterinary appointments on-site. It’s not just the animal patients who benefit from these appointments: „Some of our clients come to every single consultation, even if their dog is perfectly fine – simply because they feel comfortable with us,“ says Pfeffer, who treats every client and every patient the same – regardless of whether they come to her veterinary practice and pay for the service or are destitute and use the mobile care service. „Many homeless people no longer expect society to even see them or treat them like normal people. We treat everyone without prejudice and without pressure, and that means a great deal to many of our clients,“ says the veterinarian.

The Diakonie is the social service arm of the Protestant Church. In ancient Greek, diakonia means „service to one’s neighbor.“ The Regional Diakonie Darmstadt-Dieburg understands its mission as living out neighbourly love. We advocate for socially and financially disadvantaged people who depend on assistance. Furthermore, we see ourselves as advocates for the vulnerable and marginalised. Together with other leading associations of independent welfare organisations, we address the root causes of social hardship with policymakers and society. Being close to people who need help and support is a central concern for us. To achieve this, more than one million people are involved in Diakonie institutions, committees, member associations, and various church congregations.

We help when…

• the apartment is missing
• there is a risk of losing your home

Every day we see people who fall through the cracks of our society: the homeless, the needy, children from disadvantaged families, or elderly people struggling with poverty. They often lack the most basic necessities: a hot meal, a safe place to sleep, medical care, or simply someone to listen. This is precisely where we come in. As the non-profit organisation „Aus der Not – Darmstadt e.V.“ (Out of Need – Darmstadt), we have made it our mission to provide unbureaucratic support to people in difficult circumstances. Our delivery routes not only bring food, drinks, hygiene products, and clothing to where they are needed – they also bring compassion and humanity.

But our help goes far beyond the immediate crisis. We accompany people on their journey toward a better life:

• We help with official procedures and debt counselling.
• We provide support with finding accommodation and setting up a postal address.
• We help with obtaining important documents and applications.
• We accompany you to doctors and arrange psychological support.
• We also provide food for the animals of those affected – because these are often their only support and their family.