If on one side of the planet, heat waves can cause a thermal sensation of 58.5°C, as happened in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. On the other, temperatures reached -58°C in Russia.
In the European continent, winter only begins on December 21st, but the bad weather has already affected those who have a home to live in and threatened the survival of those who don’t.
To offer a little comfort, 2,300 Night Angels volunteers have periodically carried out social actions with the distribution of donations.
There are at least 1 million homeless people across Europe, according to a report released in September by the Federation of National Organizations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA).
“This year winter arrived early in Sweden. At 3pm, the city starts to get dark and the temperature has varied between -6 to -8 degrees in the capital. It has also been snowing a lot in the last few days, which took the country by surprise, as we didn’t expect so much snow so soon. And this time of cold and snow becomes much more difficult for the homeless. After all, they have difficulty staying warm at this time, there is a lack of food and they are also exposed to violence”, explains the person responsible for social work in the country, Hugo Paredes.
He says that the program often operates at Central Station in Stockholm — where homeless people seek refuge at night. In fact, on December 1st, volunteers set up a table at the site and distributed meals with hot drinks to help warm up those facing the low temperatures.
One of the people who has benefited from these actions in Sweden was Eva Byberg, 75 years old. “I find myself in a difficult situation and my diet has been very bad. It’s not the first time I’ve eaten the food you offer and I really like it, it’s very tasty and I always eat everything. It makes me feel better and more energetic.”
In Russia, the social program operates every Tuesday in five cities, distributing food such as soup, bread and tea to help support the homeless and those most in need on days of intense cold.
“This work is of great value because many homeless people have no means to eat, nowhere to stay warm and they take refuge in train stations and hostels to survive. Many people in need end up getting drunk to keep warm, end up literally sleeping on the street, suffer from tuberculosis due to the cold and, unfortunately, even lose their lives”, reports the person responsible for the work in Russia, Rafael Machado.
According to a study published in March, in the journal Planetary Health, from The Lancet group, ten times more people die from the cold than from the heat in Europe.
The social program, Night Angels is present in Belgium, Spain, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. And in these 13 countries, in addition to donating food and basic necessities, volunteers always seek to bring a Word of comfort, encouragement and hope to people living in vulnerable situations.
The social work of Night Angels— maintained by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in 39 countries — began in the 1980s. In Europe, 7,100 homeless people were assisted with meals, warm clothing, blankets and books in 2022.
If you’d like to know more about this work and how you can support it, visit your nearest Universal Church and ask to speak with a Pastor who will be able to answer your queries.
