The Czech public bought roughly 31 000 “bed and breakfasts” for homeless people this winter, up year-on-year from 27,000 at the end of March 2023, Salvation Army spokesperson Tereza Melisova told CTK.
The voucher, worth 100 crowns, allows a homeless person to stay overnight in one of the Salvation Army’s hostels and other facilities in the Czech Republic. Online purchases of the vouchers were available this winter for the eighth year.
“We saw a big increase in interest especially at the beginning of the year, when January brought not only deep frosts, but also showed the great solidarity of people,” Melisova said.
Thanks to the voucher, a homeless person can spend the night in warmth in the premises of hostels or shelters run by the Salvation Army. Along with the overnight stay, homeless people receive soup, a hot drink, clean clothes and have the opportunity for personal hygiene or basic treatment.
The Salvation Army provides around 2,500 places to sleep each day during the winter months. If there is insufficient capacity, homeless people can spend the night in the warm on chairs in these facilities.
