Berlin deploys cold weather buses to assist homeless people

Stadtmission Berlin and the Berliner Deutsches Rotes Kreuz are operating mobile buses to provide warmth and shelter to homeless people in Berlin.

These teams travel through the city during the cold season to distribute sleeping bags and hot drinks. They also transport people to emergency shelters. Stadtmission Berlin operates three cold buses daily until March 31. The organization replaced two vehicles that were destroyed by a fire earlier in the year.

Using donations, the organization purchased and converted new vehicles that feature electric lifts to transport people with limited mobility to shelters. The Berliner Deutsches Rotes Kreuz also operates a warmth bus until March 31. Mario Czaja, the president of the Berliner DRK, expects the bus to be needed more frequently this winter due to high demand.

The organization asks the public to contact them if they see people who need assistance, while noting that people should call 112 for medical emergencies. During the previous season, Stadtmission Berlin teams contacted 3,783 people and moved 1,784 of them into warm housing. The Berliner DRK reported 1,872 leads during the last season, which was double the amount from the previous year.