An extensive system of social guarantees in Germany protects people in distress. Nonetheless, many persons are forced to live on the streets or in shelters, with no prospect of having their own apartment. The cause and consequences of “exceptional social difficulties” that can befall an individual are not always clear: poverty, unemployment, lack of contacts with others, an identity crisis, strokes of fate, drug addiction ...

Helping homeless people has a long diaconate Christian tradition at the v.Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel that dates back to the 19thCentury. Today, assistance for the homeless at Bethel covers a variety of out-patient, semi-residential and residential services matching the most diverse sets of problems. Our range of services include social counseling, substance-abuse counseling, outreach medical aid, multiple forms of housing, training and employment opportunities, special services for organizing an appropriate daily routine and temporary support leading to one’s own apartment or a job on the open labor market.

All of our facilities aim to assist homeless people in developing their independence in such a way that they can overcome their social difficulties and build their own future again. Bethel supports the homeless in the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.