Skopje gets temporary shelter, mobile teams for homeless

The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, supported by the Red Cross, set up a temporary shelter for homeless, which will work each day from 20-23.00h as long as the temperatures are below -5C. During the same period mobile teams will visit gathering locations of homeless, offering them hot tea, soup and blankets.

This shelter should provide the basic protection to homeless, such as hot tea, soup, blankets, sleeping bags, Minister Spiro Ristovski told reporters on Saturday.

In addition, Red Cross volunteers will patrol the gathering locations of homeless, who for personal reasons do not wish to come to the temporary shelter, Ristovski said.

The Red Cross, which opened a 24-hour shelter three days ago, will engage 18 activists in the new activities for supporting the homeless.

According to data of the Red Cross and Centers for Social Work, there are 109 homeless people in Skopje. 80 of them visit the Red Cross shelter twice a week, while only 15 stay overnight.