JPS supports the DanChurchSocial in their work to help the city’s most vulnerable
From the street, the HALDOR Huset building on Nørre Allé, Aarhus, is not much to look at. The red brick building blends nicely into the cityscape and as such is easy to overlook on such a busy street. Behind the walls of the building you will, however, find plenty of life, warmth and the stories of different people, on every floor. It is, after all, the DanChurchSocial building in Aarhus. From morning to evening, the many employees and volunteers work hard to help out the most vulnerable people in the city. “I always say that working at DanChurchSocial is a lifestyle,” smiles Birgitte Thorup, manager of DanChurchSocial in Aarhus, before continuing: “Once you have started working here, it is difficult to stop. It is so rewarding – you get to see your contribution making a world of difference to those facing hard times.”
DanChurchSocial in Aarhus is all about people. Everything that they undertake is about making the people in our society who are overlooked, facing hard times, or lonely, feel seen, heard and valued. “It takes however long it takes. We never force our users to do anything they don’t want to do. They come to us for help and to feel part of a community. We are, and will be, an open space for them,” Birgitte explains, before continuing: “We know that we have succeeded when users tell us it has led to a change in their lives. It’s one thing us being able to see that. It’s more important for the users to be able to see it and notice it themselves, however. A success!”.
Donation of DKK 100,000 annually
JPS Marselis will be donating DKK 100,000 to DanChurchSocial each year over the next three years. As Birgitte tells us: “I was delighted when Jan Rasmussen told me that JPS Marselis would be donating such a large amount of money. We make our income from donations, charity shop items being sold, and so on, so we never know exactly how much money we’re going to have for our initiatives. In other words, a guaranteed income of DKK 100,000 every year is an invaluable basis for us to work on in the years to come. It gives us stability, and we are really grateful for that.”
Many Danes would perhaps associate DanChurchSocial (in Danish: Kirkens Korshær) most with charity shops and help for the homeless. These are two of their major focus areas, it is true to say, but they also have many other initiatives in place to help people going through hard times. One of the initiatives is helping young people who are finding it difficult to make their way in life.
One DanChurchSocial initiative in Aarhus focuses specifically on helping vulnerable young people. Projects in this area range from camping trips to help with learning to live independently. “There are more young homeless in Aarhus than you would think,” Birgitte tells us, before elaborating: “Homeless does not just mean those living on the streets. It also refers to young people who ‘couch surf’ and are having trouble finding somewhere to live. One reason for homelessness that tends to spring to mind is substance misuse. Young people are affected by this too, of course, but there are actually an even greater number who don’t have anywhere to live for a time for entirely different reasons. We give them somewhere to stay until they are back on their feet.”
DanChurchSocial has also launched many initiatives to help young people experiencing tough times for different reasons. In Aarhus, two of the charity shops are dedicated to helping young people build their self-confidence. Here, they get to experience feeling needed and have a space that will accommodate their needs and feelings. “The young people start by helping out in the back of the shop. Slowly but surely their self-confidence increases, to the point where they finally feel confident enough to stand behind the counter and help customers. It is always so nice to see them growing under the wing of our talented employees,” Birgitte finishes, with a big smile on her face.
