The cold bus in Cologne – A warmer consolation in sub-zero temperatures
Freezing temperatures at the moment North Rhine-Westphalia Firmly under control. In Cologne, too, an icy wind is sweeping across the forecourt of the Cologne Capital Cities. The crowd keeps getting bigger. Impatience is slowly spreading. Despite their different ages and different origins, one thing brings them together here: hunger and the cold.
Volunteers remove folding tables from the cold bus, set out teapots and begin to donate warm meals, clothing and donations to the “guests”, as they are called by their names. The need is great, especially on the coldest nights of the year, and up to 110 people can be cared for.
On this December day, however, there are a few fewer people, many of whom cannot make it to the bus in the cold. “When it’s below zero, we’re outside every evening, so we’re on call,” says Feyza Bayraktar, scooping stew out of steaming containers for those waiting.
Christmas Eve at the cold bus
The 39-year-old has worked for many years at the Friends of Cologne Streets and Residents Association, which was founded in 2015. In addition to her full-time job, Bayraktar drives the cold bus through the cathedral city once a week – often until the early hours of the morning, even though she has to be at her desk by 8 a.m. in her regular job.
The cold bus in Cologne not only provides people in need with food and winter-proof equipment, but also with “talks at eye level”. Bayraktar quickly knows everyone here. Especially when the temperatures are freezing, she always realizes why she wants to help people. “A lady was just there who talked about her tumor – so we kept our fingers crossed that it wasn’t malignant,” she says.
There are often such situations. “Sometimes these are small problems for us, but they are huge for the guests,” she says. On Christmas Eve last year, she was also on the bus and distributed food. “A lady came along who said that after years she finally had the feeling that she had celebrated Christmas Eve at home.”
Emergency shelters are not for everyone
After the food is distributed, Bayraktar walks around the train station to draw the attention of people to the bus who didn’t make it on time. “You have to be particularly concerned when the temperature is below zero, most people drink a lot and don’t even notice that they’re getting cold,” she reports. In the past year there have again been a few deaths from the cold.
According to Bayraktar’s estimate, around 7,000 people live on the streets in Cologne, and the trend is rising. Many spend the night in emergency shelters, but it’s not for everyone. Not for Amy, for example. She has been homeless for four months now. “You only get robbed there, and there are a lot of drug addicts,” she explains while holding onto the warm tea. “It’s better to be outside and get together.” The 36-year-old spends the night in a tent and visits the cold bus almost every day. The support is a huge help – if not enough. Just yesterday she lost a friend in the cold in front of the train station.
Only one mobile cold bus throughout Cologne
The use of the cold bus begins in front of the main train station, but often only ends at the other end of the city. “We’re the only cold bus in Cologne that’s mobile,” says Bayraktar as she folds tables and prepares for the bus’s departure. The association supports itself with donations from private individuals, “but there are also companies that are doing campaigns just before Christmas,” she explains. “You can barely get there with the donations.”
The “cold phone” in the hand of the 39-year-old is now ringing quickly without a break. In addition, passers-by and local residents can contact the volunteers to report places where help IS needed. It’s 9:00 p.m., but “we’ve received 20 digits so far, and when I’ve checked the mailbox, there will be a few more,” she says.
Arrived at the individual places, Bayraktar looks after the people. Is the body temperature high enough? If not, the cooperating taxi company or the ambulance will be called to take the people to emergency shelters or to the hospital. But the cold bus also takes care of people’s animals with dog clothes and animal feed. “Man’s best friends” are also the reason why they don’t want to be taken to emergency shelters. “People don’t want to part with their animals either, which have to go to another home,” explains Bayraktar.
Long lines in front of buses in NRW
Other aid organizations in North Rhine-Westphalia also offer a cold bus. According to the Malteser, there is a “warmth bus” in Münster and a “heart bus” in Dortmund. “At the moment it’s extreme, of course, there are up to 50 people in line. These are not only the homeless, but also many social recipients who are looking for a warm meal with us,” says a spokesman for the Malteser of the German Press Agency.
With five buses in Bonn, Aachen, Bochum, Münster and Dusseldorf is also the aid organization of the Johanniter in the cold aid mission. According to the spokesman, there is a likelihood that the current price hike will push even more people into neediness. The latest homeless statistics from the NRW Ministry of Social Affairs shows around 48,000 people as homeless at the end of June 2021.
Cold aid more than doubled
Only recently, Social Affairs Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) more than doubled the funds for the cold aid with a total of 850,000 euros compared to the year. “Not having a shelter and retreat is one of the most depressing forms of poverty – especially when it’s cold outside,” he said. “In winter, this can have serious health consequences – including death.” The money is intended to support sponsors and initiatives, but renting heat halls is also an option.
Today, however, Bayraktar first has to distribute the rest of the food to the needy. When she says goodbye, she hugs some people because she is now on a short vacation break. “I’ll be back in the New Year, but whatever happens, the people are here and my thoughts are with you,” she says with a determined look.
dpa