News from the Wärmes­tube

Matthew 25:35-36. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

This season’s Wärmestube began on 2 December 2025, and will operate every Tuesday until 31 March 2026. We started immediately with an unusually high number of visitors for the opening week (100 guests), which still continues to increase dramatically every Tuesday. Our largest number was 163 visitors on 30 December, but the average is around 130, a significant increase from last year. As of 13 January, we have welcomed and fed 940 guests.

Our visitors come for varied reasons: neighbourhood folks on fixed incomes, affected by rising heating and food costs; older Ukrainian displaced persons; younger homeless people; and those simply seeking a warm, welcoming place to have a good meal and companionship for a few hours.

Our congregation has been very supportive in many ways: by providing financial gifts, donating clothing and personal care items, and volunteering each Tuesday. There are so many jobs necessary to cope with all the visitors and make our church a safe and welcoming environment. Volunteers help with cooking and preparing meals on Monday, then on Tuesday serve hot meals and desserts, hand out fruit and pour cups of coffee, distribute personal care items and canned goods, manage the clothing donation room, clean up tables, and wash pots and dishes following the meal.

We are joined in this ministry by members of the German-speaking UMC congregation with whom we share our building, and volunteers from other neighborhood religious communities. We also receive support from UMC partner congregations in the United States, local businesses that donate funds and volunteer hours, and medical personnel provided to our ministry by the Austrian Red Cross.

Our Christmas celebration on 23 December was a blessed event for our 150 visitors: we celebrated with a special worship service, which included music by our volunteers and a reading of the nativity gospel in two languages. We offered a traditional Austrian meal of Tafelspitz (boiled beef in broth) with all the trimmings, hot apple cider, and lots of desserts. Our Christmas cookie project, to which our members have so generously donated, ensured all guests went home with a package of delicious homemade cookies, which was very popular with all!

As the local economy continues to affect personal incomes and prices rise, we see a new level of need in our visitors.  The clothing donations shared by our congregation are especially welcome and provide essential warmth in these cold months. Each week, we distribute a large number of winter hats, gloves, scarves, boots and coats.

One special bonus for our congregation is working so closely with the good people and the new pastor of the German-speaking congregation, as we get to know our religious neighbours first hand. We are deeply grateful for the continued generosity of our two congregations, whose efforts make the ministry possible. Every act of kindness—whether through volunteering, making donations, or simply spreading the word—has a direct and meaningful impact on the lives of our guests.

As we move forward through the winter, we encourage everyone interested in joining our mission to reach out and become involved. Together, we can continue to offer warmth, nourishment, and good companionship to those who need it most. There are still more than two months remaining in our Wärmestube season. Should you wish to volunteer on Tuesdays or in other ways support the ministry of the Wärmestube, please speak to Pastor John or Barbara Gibson.

2 Corinthians 9:7. “Each of you must give as you have made up your own mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”