When the Fan House doors opened on Thursday, 30 October, there was immediately a bustle of activity. It was once again time for Winter, mollig und warm, the annual fundraising campaign for needy and homeless people in our city. Initiated by the fan and membership department (or more precisely the social affairs working group) the call for clothing donations, which has been taking place since 2017, has become an integral part of the calendar year. This is mainly thanks to Doreen Scholz, who laid the foundations in the early years.

The campaign is supported by 1. FC Union Berlin, the ‘UNION VEREINT. Schulter an Schulter’ foundation, the Streetwork Alte Försterei fan project and the Wirtschaftsrat 1. FC Union e. V.

Winter, mollig und warm is on the minds of many Union fans all year round, who save suitable clothing and useful items for those three days a year. As one Union fan who was there with his wife said: ‘We'd like to donate things again. We do it every year. And I'm already collecting again.’

Organised by members of the FuMA-AG Soziales, the FCU-Oldies and the ‘Grenzenlos Eisern’ fan club, donations were being constantly accepted. After a quick inspection, the donations were sorted by item of clothing and noted on a tally sheet on their way to the appropriate table. On the first day alone, 60 large bags of clothing donations were collected.

Hygiene items and useful everyday items were stored separately. No one was donating used toothbrushes or half-empty bottles of shower gel. Instead – and this was really impressive – there were many Union fans giving whatever they could, doing a good deed for those who urgently need it, within the scope of their own possibilities. For example, one Union member who did not have any clothes to donate herself bought around £100 worth of hygiene items at a chemist's: disposable razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower gel, deodorant and much more. And she was not alone. A Union fan came and asked, ‘Do you also take blankets?’ As soon as he received the affirmative, he set off with the words, ‘Well then, I'll be right back,’ and returned with a pile of them. 

No matter what day you visited, the volunteers on site accepted every donation with good cheer and enormous gratitude. This included pleasant chats among Union fans. Some even obtained permission from their superiors to leave work early. For ‘Winter, mollig und warm,’ it was worth it.

A minor setback – quickly resolved

This commitment also made it possible to overcome a minor setback, namely the breakdown of a van on the day of the match against Freiburg. With the help of the fan representative for inclusion and diversity, Yvonne Kalisch-Vonhoff, and Erik Raasch, a replacement vehicle was quickly provided. A good example of how volunteers and full-time staff can work together and support each other. For the cause, of course. 

In the hours before kick-off, further donations were collected at two drop-off points in the immediate vicinity of the stadium, while thousands of fans flocked into the stadium. Anyone who thought that Winter, mollig und warm ends when the car doors close was mistaken. After the match, a large number of helpers immediately moved back into the fan house provided for this purpose in Lindenstraße. The donations from the day still had to be sorted, counted and organised. The work continued until shortly before 10 p.m. before a first conclusion could be drawn.

The final result

The donations totalled 130 bags filled with thousands of items of clothing, hundreds of hygiene products and 24 working mobile phones. The exact figures can be found in the following overview:

576 jumpers, 575 pairs of socks, 513 T-shirts, 406 jackets, 294 pairs of trousers, 177 pairs of underpants, 125 hats, 86 scarves, 81 pairs of shoes, 77 pairs of jogging bottoms, 56 pairs of gloves, 53 blankets, 53 undershirts, 51 pairs of long johns, 37 waistcoats, 14 rucksacks, 14 sleeping bags, 12 sleeping mats, 10 belts, 9 pillows and 4 tents.

As soon as the weekend was over, the fully loaded vans set off; 14 facilities throughout the city were supplied with fairly distributed goods, so that there was something for everyone and to ensure that everyone is well prepared for the coming winter.

The benficiaries

Franklinstraße emergency shelter, Charlottenburg; Johanniter emergency shelter, Kreuzberg; practice for homeless and needy people, Friedrichshain; Treffpunkt Strohhalm clothing store, TK; Franciscan monastery, Pankow; Unter Druck – Kultur von der Straße e.V., Wedding; Kälteschutz im Mehringhof, Kreuzberg; Day centre for homeless and needy people in Lichtenberg; Sunshinehouse Beherbungsbetrieb GmbH, Neukölln; Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe e.V., Wedding; IB Kälteschutz, Kreuzberg; Kinder-/Jugendhilfe-Verbund BerlinBrandenburg, Neukölln; Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Am Lietzensee, Charlottenburg; Gangway e.V., DropOut teams: mobile teams in various districts; Männerobdach Plus, Schöneberg and other IB facilities

What sticks in the mind, however, are not only the impressive figures achieved by the Union family with their willingness to donate, but above all the stories behind them. There were quite a few who did something good for a sad reason.

‘These are my late husband's belongings,” said one. “I didn't want to throw them away. This way, they still serve a good purpose.” Another Union member, living in Thuringia, made special contact in advance so that she could hand over her donations, also from an estate, three weeks earlier. Of course, this was also made possible. The bottom line remains: for the cause.

Why no women's clothing?

The question arose repeatedly as to why only men's clothing was being collected. There are several reasons for this. On the one hand, around a quarter of the approximately 8,000 homeless people in Berlin are women. The demand for men's clothing is therefore higher simply because of the numbers involved. But there are also homeless women who prefer to wear men's clothing. Women are often exposed to danger and have to fear assault and sexual violence. That is why they like to wear loose-fitting men's clothing so that they are not immediately identified as women and therefore perceived as easy targets. Loose-fitting clothing also allows them to wear extra layers underneath to better withstand the cold temperatures.

The strong helping the weak

This guiding principle of 1. FC Union Berlin and its foundation also applies here. When we write that everything is for the cause, we mean for the people. The people who are currently struggling, who are currently unable to take their place in society as they should. Those who are afflicted by poverty, addiction or fate. They all deserve the support of wider society.

Social commitment is a valuable asset and must never cease. No one is immune to it happening to themselves or a loved one, and then you too will hope for and depend on support. This idea will continue to live on in the Union family with its many social projects and campaigns in the coming years. 

Our greatest thanks go to all donors – whether clothing, purchased items or money – who have once again made it possible to provide great support to people in need. Equally great respect and highest recognition go to all volunteer Union fans and other supporters who dedicated several days to this campaign. Thank you for your commitment!