On 15 November 2023, the 250 beds that make up the Findel multifunctional emergency facility will be ready to welcome WAK beneficiaries during the coldest winter months.
Organised since 1 January 2021 by the Dräieck a.s.b.l., which brings together the three partners Caritas Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Red Cross and Inter-Actions, in collaboration with the Ministry for the Family, Integration and the Greater Region, the WAK aims to guarantee temporary accommodation, meals, access to health facilities and services such as on-call nurses to meet the basic needs of homeless people.
"The partnership between the Luxembourg Red Cross, Inter-actions and Caritas Luxembourg began almost three years ago. All our knowledge, expertise and experience in the field, acquired over several years in the field of homelessness and emergency accommodation in Luxembourg and internationally, have been pooled to carry out our humanitarian mission in Luxembourg with commitment", explains Marc Crochet, President of Dräieck a.s.b.l.
Action taken as close to the ground as possible
Teams of professionals on the ground take turns 7 days a week during the winter months to guarantee access to showers, hygiene products and a hot meal, and to offer a place to rest, socio-educational activities, an emergency cloakroom and a social monitoring and guidance service, depending on the needs.
"Each year, 21 experienced professionals in the field, accompanied by our trainees, volunteers and voluntary workers, take charge of welcoming people in need of shelter for the duration of the Action Hiver," explains Cyrielle Chibaeff, head of the Dräieck a.s.b.l. team.
Field coordination is open from 11.30am to 4pm: registering beneficiaries, organising individual social follow-up, referring people to specialist services if necessary and planning nursing care are all part of the daily tasks. During the 2022/2023 edition of the WAK, 336 social files were closed.
The Day Shelter, open from 12 noon to 4pm, offers a hot meal, a place to rest and an emergency cloakroom, and organises socio-educational activities to promote social inclusion and integration. Last season, almost 700 items of clothing were distributed to 214 different beneficiaries. 15,249 midday meals were served to 1,128 different beneficiaries.
The Night Shelter, open from 7.15pm to 8.45am, welcomes beneficiaries for overnight accommodation, organises evening meals and breakfast, distributes personal hygiene equipment, guarantees access to showers and offers support. For the winter of 2022/2023, 54,028 breakfasts and dinners were served to 1,310 different beneficiaries over 150 nights.
Volunteers committed and mobilised throughout Wanteraktioun
The volunteer team at Dräieck a.s.b.l. also plays a very important role. Their mobilisation alongside the professionals on the ground is one of the conditions that guarantee the smooth running of the WAK. The friendly, welcoming atmosphere that volunteers help to instil with their dynamism and motivation also helps those in need. 96 active volunteers took it in turns to work more than 5,411 hours during last year's event.
To contact the teams on the ground:
wanteraktioun@draieck.lu or +352 621 148 508
To contact the association team:
chibaeff@draieck.lu or +325 621 598 341
To become a volunteer:
benevolat@draieck.lu or 2755 ou Rachel Olivero : +352 621 559 751