It is quiet in the Contact café in the entrance hall. More people will come in the afternoon, to have a coffee, have a chat, to use the medical services, or the showers, those who are homeless find a bed at the nightshelter and washing machines to wash their clothes. The centre is open day and night. Once the clients get inside, they’re welcomed by one of the employees. “We say, hi, how are you doing, what can we do for you”, Claudia Aller says. She is in charge of the daily business at Abrigado. “We want to show them that we see them entering and to again and again ask what they want, so that they also have to think about it.”

At Abrigado, they get clean needles, have a room for safe drug consumption without the nosy looks of passengers on the streets. They can have a time out to relax. Many people who frequent Abrigado don’t want any help in the first time. They need time and confidence. And that’s okay. Abrigado is not a therapy centre for drug addicts. It is a place where they can be safe, without fear and with a reduced health risk. Maybe one day, they are ready to get in touch with the social workers to consider a therapy.

Local Matters this week is about drug addictions. Check out our report if you want to know more about Abrigado and their daily business.

Story from our Local Matters Archive.