September 22, 2020

Help for the Homeless in Kaliningrad

Sr. M. Gisela Noky

We have been battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Kaliningrad for a long time. Since March 2020 we have had a different order in our parish and Caritas center for the support and care for our visitors. For security reasons we unfortunately had to close our ambulance. Only the soup kitchen initially remained in operation.

Help for the homeless and other needy people

There was no quarantine until mid-March, so the homeless could come to eat. After they ate the soup while sitting on benches in the open air in the beginning, there was a great deal of confusion, so we decided to put the benches away. Everyone got their soup and left the premises.

For the other visitors to the soup kitchen – senior citizens and other needy people – we prepared food packages so that they did not have to come every day. At first three times a week, then every Monday and finally every two weeks. But then the situation got even worse: no going out, everything closed – so we officially closed. Everyone who came was given something to eat on the street. It is still like that now.

It is difficult to work with people who do not assess and perceive the danger. We kept asking people to keep their distance, to refrain from handshakes and hugs – it didn’t help. Some were completely inconsiderate and said they were disinfected from the inside.

to the report