Caritas activates winter support for homeless people in Salzburg

Caritas Salzburg will activate its cold-weather hotline and open a winter emergency shelter for women on Sunday as temperatures fall, ORF reports. The services are intended to support homeless people in the city of Salzburg.

Twenty additional beds will be available for women at Haus Elisabeth, the shelter where they can find a protected place to sleep overnight. Caritas is also asking for donations of warm clothing, sleeping bags and sleeping mats.

The Caritas cold-weather hotline can be reached on 0676/848 210 651. Torsten Bichler, head of the organisation’s social work department in Salzburg, urged people to approach homeless people who are sleeping outdoors in freezing temperatures. In an acute emergency, people should call the ambulance service on 144.

Anyone unsure how to help can contact the hotline for guidance. Its social workers and support staff can assess the situation but cannot go out to assist people in person. Medical emergencies should be referred to the ambulance service. The hotline received nearly 200 calls last winter.