Depaul Slovakia: Breakfast for the Homeless

Two older men are slowly walking down the street from a bus stop. Their destination is a local shop in Petrzalka, the biggest estate in the city and „the most densely populated housing district in Central Europe“ as described in a tourist information brochure. Actually to describe their movement as walking is only a half true. One of them is sitting on the wheelchair and the other one is pushing and manoeuvring the “vehicle” around frequent holes and curbs. When they reach the shop, the „driver“ takes out a bright vest and few copies of magazine which they both start to offer to people passing by. This scene repeats every day. The magazine is a street newspaper and these two men are traveling each day from the opposite side of the city to earn some money. Both of them are homeless, both of them are having medical diagnosis and both of them are living at Shelter St. Louise de Marillac. They met each other at the shelter and through friendship and helping each other, they found their way through life in a symbiotic relation. “I am his hands and legs and he is my head” describes their relationships Peter. Peter has problems with his memory and he gets lost very easily. He needs to be regularly reminded to take his medicine. Jan, his partner on wheelchair, is capable to plan, organize their common life, deal with the money and even sell the street newspaper and manage other logistic issues. Their friendship helps both of them to overcome loneliness and many limitations of their sickness but also helps them to deal with difficult aspects of the homeless life. They are the happy ones of homeless community because they have each other. Majority of homeless people suffer from loneliness and broken relations, including those with the closest family.

According to census from 2016 more than 50% of homeless declare health problems among the top issues which troubles them the most. Peter and Jan are happy, because they still can move, but for many with chronical diseases or immobile homeless or those who are unable to care for themselves the shelter St Louise de Marillac offers rescue, safe space and necessary help. It is the only shelter in the whole country which provides this type of service and 30 beds are not enough to cover the need in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. Shelter is open even for people without money, without ID card or health insurance. Each year about 90 people stay there for average stay 3 month long. Some of the clients return back to street but for about 30% of them we succeed to find some stay in one of the few permanent social institutions or pension houses. This October we celebrated 10 anniversary of the opening of this shelter. During those 10 years the shelter was helping needy people every day without cease. The shelter has moved 3 times, helped more than 350 people and for 38 of them was the last home before they left this Earth, surrounded by caring people. Resources donated via Global giving will be also used to support the shelter.

In the last 12 months Depaul Slovakia provided 137 000 meals, served 75 000 beds and 7 200 social interventions. We distributed 19 800 litres of hot soup and helped over 1 600 people. Thank you for supporting us... and them.