Do you know of Caritas Luxembourg? Editorial Special edition

Special edition
Inside:
itasyou
Ca rand
Do you know
of Caritas
Luxembourg?
Caritas ­is
committed in
Luxembourg
Caritas is
­committed in
the world
Editorial
Dear readers,
Caritas is a Latin word which represents love of neighbour. This
love, an expression of human
dignity, connects all human beings and calls for action whenever a person is in a situation of
distress. Caritas has been implementing this neighbourly love in
Luxembourg since 1932.
Nowadays, helping a person
in need or an affected population to manage a difficult and delicate situation
are some of the challenges and the expertise of
Caritas, both in Luxembourg and around the world.
For many years now, Caritas has had numerous
supporters and donors who made all this work
possible. Everyone has the opportunity to help and
get involved.
I thank you very much for your interest and your
commitment to supporting those in need.
Philippe Streff,
Sécrétaire général
The things you
have always
wanted to know
about Caritas
Luxembourg
Do you know of
­Caritas Luxembourg?
Caritas Luxembourg* acts towards social
inclusion in Luxembourg and around the
world. Support of vulnerable populations is a primary concern: single-parent
families, children and youths, migrants
and refugees, disadvantaged persons,
homeless or with precarious housing
situations or income, persons temporarily unable to manage their lives. At
international level, Caritas takes the side
of victims of natural disasters and violent
conflicts.
The civil war in Syria; the earthquake
and cholera epidemic in Haiti; flooding in Pakistan; droughts and famines
in East Africa and the food crisis in the
Sahel: these are some of the disasters
that have impacted populations, that are
often already heavily affected by misery
and poverty from previous years. Caritas
international network is present across
200 countries. This global network has
resources and ability to assess needs
directly on site in cases of emergencies.
In disaster situations, the local Caritas can directly intervene and assist by
providing water, food, medicine, tents or
social assistance.
These immediate interventions are only possible thanks
to the solidarity, including that
of the Luxembourg public.
Assistance provided by Caritas is not
just limited to emergency aid. Affected
and vulnerable populations are supported by Caritas, allowing them to rebuild
their lives from an integral development
perspective. This includes strengthening
capacities of vulnerable populations in
order to limit the impact of future crisis,
to improve their living conditions and to
ensure protection of their rights. 
* Fondation Caritas Luxembourg, Caritas Accueil
et Solidarité asbl, Caritas Jeunes et Familles asbl,
Caritas Enfants et Familles asbl
CARITAS IS COMMITTED
IN LUXEMBOURG
Having a home
It has become increasingly
difficult for people with a low-income to reside in decent housing in
Luxembourg.
Whether it is families in distress, young people
having left their parental home, or others seeking
a secure place to live, homeless people requiring emergency or occasional lodging facilities,
families who had to leave their countries, Caritas
strives to find these people a home, to accompany them and to integrate them. The objective
is to temporarily support them, to enable them
to establish means to live independently. Caritas
Luxembourg currently provides temporary or permanent housing to nearly 1,500 people, allowing
them to live in dignity. In addition, Caritas promotes housing cooperatives as a way of countering the problem of unaffordable housing, and
offers advice to people interested in this alternative way of living. 
Experiencing a
­childhood
Family layouts are constantly evolving. Searching for better ways to balance work with family life is a constant concern. Caritas Luxembourg
is equally confronted with parental
break-ups and at times serious consequences for the children who are the
most vulnerable in these situations.
Support and professional accompaniment of
children, young people and families occurs on
many different levels: anonymous and confidential hotline conversations, youth centres, holiday
activities, nurseries, day-care for primary school
children, street work as well as services offering
help, temporary residency, submission to institutions or placement into host families in crisis
situations (divorce, illness, drugs, debts, unemployment, conflicts or psychological distress). In
addition, there is support to young migrants residing in Luxembourg, who face multiple social and
academic difficulties. Caritas Luxembourg offers
two integration classes for adolescents and young
adults as well as a class for illiterates, with the aim
of ensuring their integration into Luxembourg
society.
Caritas Luxembourg has established an innovative
service, which enables children from disadvantaged families with learning difficulties (dyslexia,
dysgraphia and dyscalculia) to receive therapy. 
Being supported in
precarious situations
Despite being known for being a
rich country, Luxembourg is encountering amongst its residents a
rising number of people affected by
poverty.
Those persons whose needs have been identified by the Luxembourg social office can shop at
discounted prices in charity shops “Caritas Buttek” in Diekirch and in Esch-sur-Alzette. These
“Caritas Buttek” charity shops are integrated in the
“Fairness Centres” of Caritas Luxembourg, which
are friendly spaces for encounters, listening, and
training, where is it also possible to get second
hand clothes. The objective is to support those
in temporary distress, particularly single-parent
families, who are often in situations of extreme
precariousness. 
CARITAS IS
COMMITTED
IN THE WORLD
Being integrated by work
The economic crisis primarily affects those who are already
disadvantaged. Assisting persons with employment represents a privileged means of social inclusion, whilst faced with unemployment.
Caritas Luxembourg supports those who are temporarily unable to access the labour market, by offering them various workshops. Similarly,
several persons who are hired through different measures of employment assistance by the Administration of Employment are directly
integrated in the Caritas team. Furthermore, in accordance with the
slogan “to be employed is to be integrated” “Employer, c’est intégrer”,
Caritas seeks to promote employment of recognised refugees and
international asylum seekers within Luxembourg’s companies.
Validation of acquired experience and basic trainings are offered to
unemployed, enabling them to be qualified and thus find employment
in the field of childcare more easily.
The international elements of Caritas started to
develop after 1949, with the foundation of Caritas
Internationalis, an international confederation, of
which Caritas Luxembourg was a co-founder and
which currently holds 165 Caritas members working in 200 countries or regions in the world.
The commitment of Caritas in the world consists today of alleviating effects of injustice, of misery and poverty, and to prevent these
on a medium and a long term basis. Caritas acts in situations where
human life, properties, social cohesion, important infrastructure or
environments are threatened, and those affected no longer have
means to manage the situation.
Finding a space for listening
and advice
Homeless persons or persons in difficult situations, protection seekers, refugees, migrants: there are many persons who seek guidance and advice from Caritas Luxembourg.
Caritas Luxembourg doesn’t act on behalf of these persons, instead
supports them in their search for solutions, by emphasising and
developing their competencies. Caritas offers in particular useful
information to facilitate daily life in Luxembourg (schooling, transport, access to medical care, language courses...), translation of
documents, mediation towards third parties and the protection of
basic rights of the individual. Specialised assistance for Lusophone
(Portuguese-speaking) people also exists. The Oasis Centre in Wiltz
is a place of meeting and listening for women of all nationalities
due to the leading role they may play in the process of integration
and social cohesion. In the day centre “Téistuff” in LuxembourgBonnevoie, persons in difficulty are welcomed. In the “Centre
Ulysse”, these persons can have a meal, wash their clothes, or take
a shower. Psycho-social mentoring or street work are other specialised services reaching out to those in need. 
Side by side with victims of natural disasters and violent conflicts,
and all the while striving to find new paths to justice, peace and
reconciliation, Caritas Luxembourg works in a way that is effective,
efficient, coherent, sustainable and context-specific. Its work must
provide added value for both its partners and the communities with
which it works.The response offered is in the domain of humanitarian aid (food, drinkable water, emergency relief...), rehabilitation
(housing, community infrastructure…) and development cooperation (agriculture, education, health, micro-credits, integrated development, promotion of women…).
Caritas Luxembourg works through partner organisations – giving
priority to local Caritas organisations – or by engaging directly
through its local bureaux. The partners and bureaux use a participative approach in their support of people in need. In certain contexts,
Caritas Luxembourg is able to engage in multiannual programmes
through its local bureaux, such as is the case in the Balkans, the
Horn of Africa, in Laos and Tajikistan.
Thanks to the great solidarity of the Luxembourg population and
the continuous support by the Government and Communes of
Luxembourg as well as the European Union, Caritas Luxembourg, in
2013, intervened in 33 different countries with 120 projects. 
The things you have
always wanted to know
about Caritas Luxembourg:
How does Caritas Luxembourg fund its
actions?
Caritas benefits from the trust and support of
both public and private donors. Private donations are the primary means of action, which
open doors for co-funding from the Government of Luxembourg and the European Union.
The legacies and donations remain indispensable to assure the sustainability of the actions of
Caritas in favour of the most disadvantaged.
How does Caritas Luxembourg manage its
donations?
Caritas uses resources at their disposal in a
transparent and efficient manner. Accounts are
controlled by company auditors, internal and
external audits and voluntary commitments
(ISO 9001 certifications, membership with the
asbl “Don en Confiance”, chartered companies
for social responsibility and sustainable development) which demonstrate this commitment
to transparency. For more information, see the
report of activities at www.caritas.lu.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes. The donations transferred to the Fondation Caritas Luxembourg are deductible from
income tax within the guidelines of article 109
and 112 of the L.I.R. To benefit from tax deduction, the total amount of donations to various
organisations throughout the year must be a
minimum of 120 €, or no more than 20% of the
total revenue or 1.000.000 €.
Do I receive a receipt for my donation?
Can I get involved as a volunteer?
Caritas Luxembourg needs you! Every year Caritas counts on support of volunteers. There are several different ways in which one
can volunteer with Caritas. For more information contact Fränz
Jacobs, francois.jacobs@caritas.lu, tel. 40 21 31 -262.
Can young people get involved?
As a young person, you can get involved by participating in a longor short-term charitable project, by volunteering as an animator
in Caritas Luxembourg’s holiday camps or for an afternoon at the
Spillmobil.
Does Caritas Luxembourg take a stance on current social and
political ­situations?
Yes. By acting as an interpreter of those in distress and being the
voice of the voiceless, Caritas Luxembourg raises awareness by soliciting solidarity and generosity as well as political bodies. Throughout the awareness raising programme “Plaidons responsible”,
awareness raising and educational activities regarding development
are organised in dialogue with political stakeholders, the private
sector, and civil society regarding the issue of the dual challenge of
social justice on a global scale and respect of planetary boundaries.
Through research and analysis, Caritas contributes to deepening
social themes relating to issues of justice and social action for the
disadvantaged, promoting innovation and sharing of knowledge.
The publication of the yearly “Sozialalmanach” clearly gives Caritas
Luxembourg’s position on socio-political issues. By means of the
quarterly news bulletin “Caritas News”, Caritas Luxembourg informs
donors and the public of current campaigns, the activities carried
out and current socio-political issues. Through its research and
analysis activities, Caritas Luxembourg contributes to the deepening
of understanding of societal themes relating to questions of justice
and social action in favour of disadvantaged people, while favouring
innovation and knowledge transfer.
An annual receipt is sent in January and states all donations made
throughout the previous year. Upon request, receipts can be provided for each individual donation made (communication@caritas.lu,­
tel. 40 21 31 263).
How can I get information regarding the activities of Caritas
Luxembourg?
As a donor of Caritas, you will receive a quarterly newsletter, Caritas
News and regular calls for donations. (Unsubscribe: communication
@caritas.lu, tel. 40 21 31 – 263). An electronic version of Caritas
news is available online at www.caritas.lu or via e-mail. By becoming
a fan of Caritas on Facebook (­www.facebook.com/­caritas.lu) you
will receive information regarding activities and current situations as
well as news from the field. The internet site www.cjf.lu provides information regarding activities in the domain of children and youths.
How to contact Caritas Luxembourg?
The staff of Caritas Luxembourg is available to be contacted
over telephone, email or facebook. Please do not hesitate to
consult the section « Besoin d’aide » on www.caritas.lu,
tel. 40 21 31 - 1 / caritas@caritas.lu
Support those in need: CCPL IBAN LU34 1111 0000 2020 0000
Donations given to Caritas Luxembourg are income tax-deductible. A
yearly receipt will be sent in January,
listing the donations you made over
the previous year. You may request
receipts for individual donations by emailing or telephoning (communication@caritas.lu, tel. 40 21 31 263).
Become a fan of Caritas
Luxembourg!
Caritas provides information from
the field, informs you on positions
taken and awaits your comments!
Caritas News is published every three months. In order to subscribe (it is also possible to subscribe to the
e-mail PDF version of the newsletter) to unsubscribe
or to communicate a change of address, please send
an e-mail to or telephone (communication@caritas.lu,
tel. 40 21 31 263).
Fondation Caritas
Luxembourg
Impressum
Edited by Caritas Luxembourg, Special edition, March 2014
29, rue Michel Welter, L-2730 Luxembourg, Tel. +352 40 21 31 1, www.caritas.lu, RCS Luxembourg G38
Photos: News ways in Somalia, Pierre Levy, Caritas Österreich - Aleksandra Pawloff & Walter
­Luttenberger, Pia Zanetti, Georg Hofer, Patrick Galbats, Alex Voets, Sam Tarling, Nicholson Patrick,
Andreas Schwaiger, Caritas Luxembourg
Layout: Bakform