The premises have “fallen from the sky” and are very welcome. “Demand is constantly increasing. We thought that with the social restaurants in Esch-sur-Alzette [editor’s note: opened in 2004] and Ettelbruck [editor’s note: opened in 2023], the number of people would smooth out here in Hollerich, but it’s quite the opposite,” explained Arnaud Watelet, administrative and financial director of Stëmm vun der Strooss, on Wednesday 19 February, at the inauguration of the extension to the capital’s site.
In figures, Stëmm vun der Strooss serves an average of 796 hot meals a day to those who need them most, including 478 in Luxembourg City. Since 2014, the number of meals has increased by 258% to reach 243,619 meals in 2024. The same applies to the Hollerich restaurant. Since 2014, the number of meals has risen by 214.2%, reaching 102,307 meals in 2024. “Inflation, wars, the arrival of refugees and immigration are bringing in more and more people in very precarious situations. Luxembourg has one of the highest rates of working poor, which is why the Stëmm’s clientele has unfortunately also long included people who have a job but can’t make ends meet in the middle of the month,” comments the organisation’s director, .
“Our footfall has been rising steadily since 2014, but this growth has been exponential for the last three years. In 2022, 4,885 people accessed the various services in Hollerich, a figure that reached 8,275 in 2024, an increase of 410% on 2014 [editor’s note: 1,703].” That’s five times as many people in ten years.
Grand-ducal couple present
“I have the impression that there are angels above my desk helping us in our daily work,” said an emotional Oxacelay. Opposite her were , , health minister (CSV) and the Reuter family.
It is thanks to this family that the Stëmm vun der Strooss premises have been extended and the extension inaugurated with great fanfare. “We built the building three years ago and saw how cramped it was for the beneficiaries on the other side of the wall, so we went to see Mrs Oxacelay,” says Rudy Reuter. As a result, he and his family decided to make available, free of charge and for ten years, the entire ground floor of the building next door to the Stëmm, i.e., 160m2, along with the entire basement (120m2).
The work, which began in June 2024, cost €320,000 and was “financed entirely by donations,” explained Oxacelay. “In particular, we used an extremely generous donation of €100,000 from Rudi Sistermann, who has sadly passed away.”
The extension, which opened in mid-December, “means that people no longer have to wait in the street for our hot meals, laundry and shower services. In the new premises, we have set up offices for the social worker, voluntary doctor, vet and hairdresser.”
78% men, 4.6% minors
How can such a sharp increase in three years be explained? “There was [Russia’s] war in Ukraine, which led to a rise in prices, the property crisis, inflation and the arrival of new refugees.” Among the nationalities most represented among beneficiaries, Ukrainians come third with 7.4%, behind Luxembourgers (10.8%) and Portuguese (15.6%).
Amongst the beneficiaries, 78% are men, with an average age of 41. Around one in ten (9.1%) are aged between 18 and 25 and 4.6% are minors, three times more than in previous years. This figure was of particular concern to Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who took the floor on Wednesday to express “her concern for these young people. It’s tragic that they are in this situation. Are they dropping out of school? Are they having problems at home?”
And if the number of beneficiaries is rising steadily, what is the opinion of these local players on the current climate in the Gare district, to which they are very close? “We ourselves sometimes get into fights because people have to wait for our doors to open at 11.30am. Aggression has increased because of the number of people coming in and the lack of facilities. There aren’t enough facilities to absorb so many people at once. There’s no doubt that the climate is tougher than it used to be, with drug dealers, clan wars and people using alcohol or drugs. But that’s normal, these are people who aren’t doing well.” Stëmm vun der Strooss has two security guards.
This article was originally published in .