Help in times of need

Someone who REALLY listens. A warm bowl of soup. A place to sleep. The hope of finding a way out of a hopeless situation. 

In addition to food, a place to sleep, and shower facilities, upstairs offers young people in need the chance to reflect on their situation together with the staff there and develop a plan for their future.

This is important to us

The unbureaucratic help and support offered by upstairs, regardless of responsibilities, is unique. Anyone can come during opening hours and is welcome. Above all, there are people here who listen. Who don't judge. "We are responsible until someone else takes over" is the motto. Young people who are in need, who have been kicked out of their homes, who don't know what tomorrow will bring, still have their whole lives ahead of them. They are always full of hope and trust that "everything will be alright." 

 

Providing Immediate and Unbureaucratic Help

When young people find themselves in distress and their situation seems desperate and hopeless, they need help and support—with as little red tape as possible.

Since its founding in 2001, the “upstairs” project has offered a wide range of support to young people in need. It is a donation-funded drop-in center located in the Reisinger Anlagen in Wiesbaden that provides assistance in acute emergency situations. Services include initial care, counseling, clothing, food, transit tickets, and—depending on availability—housing.

Building Relationships

The upstairs team builds relationships with those seeking help and supports them as they integrate into existing support systems, such as government agencies or the healthcare system. Young people in particular—those who have suddenly become homeless or don’t know how to move forward—need this support. Many of these young people hope their situation will improve quickly—but often it doesn’t. In Germany, there are around 32,000 homeless youth, most of whom hope to find a home again within a year. If they don’t succeed, it becomes all the more difficult to break free from the cycle of homelessness, unemployment, and violence. Timely assistance can change a person’s entire life in such moments.

Give hope with upstairs

Building Trust

The primary focus of our work is to help young people rebuild their trust in adults. Only then can we provide effective help. With a strong network of partners, such as the Youth Welfare Office, upstairs offers comprehensive support: through on-site conversations, a free 24-hour hotline, counseling and guidance, as well as the provision of food, clothing, and places to sleep. Due to the difficult housing situation, we also provide a tent kit for the young people.

From the very beginning, upstairs has been funded entirely by donations.

This independence allows staff to act quickly, without red tape, and directly. The success of our work is often not immediately visible and requires a great deal of time for support and counseling—but every step gives young people the chance to steer their lives back in a positive direction.

 

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