Memorial in Mannheim: Memory for deceased homeless people inaugurated

Memorial in Mannheim: Memory for deceased homeless people inaugurated

Mannheim, Deutschland - In Mannheim, a memorial for late people without a permanent residence was inaugurated on Wednesday. The Catholic Church has thus taken an important step to put the painful fate of these often overlooked people aware of the public. The Catholic City Dean Karl Jung blessed the new memorial, which is located in the Mannheim main cemetery. This site consists of a memorial stone, surrounded by six steles, on which the names and death dates of the deceased residents are recorded. For reasons of data protection, only the first name and the first letter of the last name are mentioned, which underlines the respectful handling of the deceased. The memorial should not only serve the memory, but also draw attention to the pressing problem of homelessness.

As the Caritas Mannheim reports, Christian funeral celebrations are regularly aligned for deceased homeless people. "The memorial was launched in cooperation with Caritas' homeless help," says the Caritas Mannheim. The idea for this project came up a few years ago and, thanks to the financial support of the Mannheim cemetery office and generous donations from stonemasons and a nursery, became a reality. The maintenance of the memorial is taken over by Caritas, clients of homeless help and employees of the main cemetery.

support offers for homeless people

Caritas also offers a wide range of help for homeless people. This includes, among other things, a day care center that is open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There, people can enjoy a free breakfast or a warm lunch against a contribution to an expense. Free medical consultation hours and the opportunity to wash clothes are also ready. There is the "oasis" especially for women, a specialist advice center that offers protected rooms and valuable support.

Diakonie also offers extensive support for affected people. There are around 800 offers across Germany that range from emergency shelters to outpatient housing emergency aids. Everyone has the right to a permanent residence, and the municipalities are obliged to accommodate people in need. Support offers also include cold buses in the winter months and a variety of advice centers that help with financial difficulties.

The challenges of homelessness

The causes of homelessness are diverse. Rental debts, economic emergencies and critical life events such as separation or illness often lead to a hopeless situation. This is made more difficult by social isolation and health problems. Diakonie is committed to improving the possibilities for people in need and pursues the goal of eliminating home and homelessness by 2030 by the national action plan against homelessness. Significant changes in housing policy and tenant protection are necessary.

The new memorial in Mannheim is a strong signal to society: despite their often invisible presence, homeless people will not forget. They deserve our sympathy and support. The path would like to set a sign of dignity for both the deceased and the living affected people.