Vorarlberg emergency shelters stay busy year-round

Emergency shelters in Vorarlberg are well used throughout the year, with cold weather expected to bring more homeless people seeking a warm place to sleep, ORF reports. The dowas shelter in Bregenz has 12 beds and the Caritas shelter in Feldkirch has eight.

The shelters do not make special preparations for winter, said Elisabeth Gächter, head of the Caritas shelter. Their services remain the same year-round, and occupancy can change daily. Guests may stay for a maximum of 28 consecutive days. When a shelter is full, staff coordinate with other services.

In summer, the shelters hand out bottles of water. In winter, they provide sleeping bags and sleeping mats, as well as hot water for tea. Caritas also passes on donated items, including hand-knitted socks.

So far this year, 186 people have received temporary accommodation at the Caritas shelter: 153 men and 33 women. By the end of September, it had recorded 1,550 overnight stays. At dowas, 162 men and 23 women had stayed there, with 2,739 overnight stays recorded by the end of October.

July, August and September saw an unusually high number of stays at dowas, said its managing director, Ferdinand Koller. The 936 overnight stays across those three months were a record, he said.

People who need help for someone experiencing homelessness can contact services in Vorarlberg. In Feldkirch, the Caritas Center can be reached on 05522/200 1700 from Monday to Friday, 8am to noon; the Caritas emergency shelter at Jahnplatz 4 on 05522/200 1200 daily from 4.30pm to 8am; and the Caritas Café on 05522/200 1570 from Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm, and Saturday, 8.30am to noon. In Dornbirn, Kaplan Bonetti can be reached around the clock on 05572/23061. In Bregenz, dowas can be reached on 05574/9090234 from Monday to Friday, 9am to noon.