The "Mitternachtsbus" (Midnight Bus) of the Diakonisches Werk, the social branch of the mainline Protestant Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD) in Hamburg, takes care of about 160 of the approximately 2,000 homeless people in the city every night.

Thanks to donations, Diakonie was able to purchase an electric vehicle, just 25 years after the founding of the Midnight Bus, thus saving 3000 kg of CO2 annually.

On the eve of the first trip of the new bus, the 140 volunteers meet in front of the main church of St. Michaelis to inaugurate the vehicle, along with the regional pastor Dirk Ahrens.

“We are happy to be able to make a contribution to sustainability as a Diakonie with the new E-mobile. With around 13,000 kilometres driven per year, we will now avoid the emission of around 3,000 kilograms of greenhouse gases”, said Ahrens.

According to the Environmental and Climate Protection Office of the North Church was on hand to advise on the purchase. “implementing the midnight bus, as an indispensable contact point for homeless and homeless people, now with climate-friendly mobility is a motivating example on the way of the North Church to climate neutrality”.

In 2015, the regional synod of the Northern Church passed a law according to which it is to be climate neutral by 2050.

“We sincerely thank our donors and volunteers for supporting our work”, stressed project manager Sonja Norgall.

25 years “bringing a ray of hope to life on the streets”

In November 1996, the Midnight Bus was founded by the then state pastor Dr. Stephan Reimers and members of the Hamburg Donations Parliament, to protect people from freezing to death.

Every night from 8 p.m, teams of volunteers drive to about 30 stops in the city centre, the harbour and Altona and bring hot drinks, baked goods, blankets, sleeping mats, sleeping bags and clothing donations to Hamburg's homeless people.

“Above all, however, we bring a ray of hope to life on the streets with conversations and attention. If necessary, the volunteers refer those seeking advice to counselling services such as the Diakonie Centre for the Homeless”, they explained.

In addition to counselling in different languages, there is also a doctor, showers, washing machines and a hot lunch.

Currently 140 people from many occupational and age groups are involved with the midnight bus, some of them for 25 years. Thanks to them, the bus can bring help and the true message of the gospel to the people on the street every night, even under pandemic conditions.