On 15 December 2025, we are in Elmshorn, a town in the Hamburg region. It is cold — the kind of cold that slowly creeps into your body and is hard to escape. Together with Bahnhofsmission Elmshorn and the Johanniter Hilfsgemeinschaften, we distribute Sheltersuits to people living on the streets. People for whom warmth is not a given, but something temporary — something that can disappear just as quickly.
Living with what you can carry
Pierre is one of the people we meet. He has lived on the streets for many years and tells us how his belongings repeatedly disappear. Sometimes due to clearance actions, sometimes because of destruction. He shows us a photo on his phone: his sleeping place under a bridge. Or rather, what remains of it. On the night of 1 January 2025, the spot burned down due to fireworks. Pierre himself was in hospital at the time, recovering from a stroke. When he returned, everything was gone. That is why the Sheltersuit means so much to him — not as a solution to his situation, but as protection in a life where nothing is secure.
When everything can disappear, it’s important to have something I can always carry with me.
- Pierre, Sheltersuit recipient in Elmshorn -
The Sheltersuit is light and mobile. It makes Pierre less dependent on one fixed place and less vulnerable when belongings disappear. It gives him something rare on the streets: a sense of control. And dignity.
Bahnhofsmission Elmshorn: an anchor point
At Bahnhofsmission Elmshorn, people work with this reality every day. Staff member Anna Federmann explains that the number of support contacts has increased significantly in recent years. Every day, dozens of people come by for a conversation, support or simply a moment of rest. Many of them are regular guests, people who have been supported for years and whose stories are familiar. In addition to the drop-in centre, Bahnhofsmission runs two emergency shelters. What was once a winter-only provision is now available year-round. Men and women are accommodated separately, increasing safety. Even in summer, people are taken in who would otherwise have to sleep outside.
When being indoors is not an option
Still, shelter is not a solution for everyone. Some people have lived outside for so long that being indoors no longer feels safe. Four walls can feel confining, rules overwhelming. For these individuals, protection on the streets remains essential. This is where a Sheltersuit can make a difference — as mobile shelter, as something personal, as a brief moment of calm in an unstable life.
Care instead of prejudice
Anna explains that there is sometimes hesitation before distributing Sheltersuits. Not from people on the streets, but from aid workers themselves. The fear that new, valuable items will be sold is widespread. In practice, she sees something very different.
She shares the story of a guest who received a Sheltersuit as a gift, with one simple wish: that he would be warmer at night. Since then, he carries it with him everywhere and looks after it carefully. It shows what becomes possible when people are trusted instead of judged.
Together across Germany
Bahnhofsmission first connected with Sheltersuit through Verena von Baudissin, chair of Johanniter Hilfsgemeinschaft Elmshorn. Today, Sheltersuit Foundation and the Johanniter Hilfsgemeinschaften once again work closely together across Germany. On 15 December, the distribution was co-coordinated by Katrin von Gierke, Ordensbeauftragte der Johanniter Hilfsgemeinschaften. Together with Johanniter Hilfsgemeinschaft Münsterland, they share a common goal: distributing 1,000 Sheltersuits in more than 30 cities across Germany. All Johanniter Hilfsgemeinschaften are entirely volunteer-driven. Thanks to their local expertise and close cooperation with other aid organisations, distributions like the one in Elmshorn can be carried out with care and dignity.
Where warmth begins
A Sheltersuit does not change a system. It does not end homelessness. But it makes nights more bearable. It offers protection when everything can disappear. And it shows: you are seen. For Pierre. For the regular guests of Bahnhofsmission. For everyone who has nowhere else to go.
Will you help?
Every day, people sleep outside. In Germany, the Netherlands and far beyond. With your support, we can offer warmth, protection and dignity together. Donate a Sheltersuit or Shelterbag. Give someone something to hold on to when everything feels uncertain. Together, we can make a difference.
