Caritas collects donated clothing:

http://web.caritas.ch/page2.php?pid=13400

http://web.caritas.ch/media_features..._Kleider_D.pdf

One can e-mail them to discuss collection, or bring the clothing to their collection center in Luzern:

Kleiderzentrale Waldibrücke, Postfach
CH-6032 Emmen
Telefon: +41 41 269 00 30
Internet: www.caritas.ch
Telefax: +41 41 269 00 39
E-Mail: textiles@caritas.ch

Or bring them to a local Caritas shop. I would imagine that it might be a good idea to speak with the local shop first.

Regional Caritas contacts:
http://web.caritas.ch/page2.php?pid=2400

Rest assured that there are plenty of homeless shelters in every town in Switzerland.

In the cold war Switzerland built enough bunkers to keep all the population underground for several weeks, and in the east of Geneva they can look after 10'000 people. This is for the population that do not have access to a private bunker. These public bunkers sleep about 20 people in each room, with metal bunk beds, showers and toilets. They are run by the Swiss civil defense authorities.

If you want further information http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin...vilschutz.html

I guess just based on the article (same link as before) which stated "Cornut said priority for places would be given to Swiss homeless people, women and children, the elderly or sick, before others, including the many Roma who would normally sleep in their cars and are expected to seek shelter."

I understand giving priority to women and children, the elderly and sick before others, but it does also "Swiss people" as well. Therefore, I assumed that the Roma and other immigrants are most at risk given this statement from the head of social services in Lausanne.

Thanks everyone for all your replies and links to info on homeless shelters here. I guess the best thing for me to do is donate some clothing and see about volunteer possibilities for the future.

Hmm, thanks for clarifying, I guess I should have read the whole article (instead of skimming) before commenting.

I think it's not so much about not helping Roma or immigrants as opposed to not being particularly fussed to help more "transient" folks who are just passing through. There were a lot of problems with homelessness (I'm sure there still is) in Florida during the winter because so many people would make their way south to the relatively warmer temperatures. There, there likely was a similar focus of ensuring beds for "known" homeless from the area as opposed to John Smith who just came down two days ago and is actually headed on his way tomorrow.

At least, I hope it is "only" as bad as that.

so does this mean that when they find someone on the street they will ask for his/her ID and that if the person is not swiss he/she will be left to die?? Nice!

I've just read this post, I've been in Swizzland now for approx 6 months, and I've been told at work "In Swizzland there is no need to be homeless, the state provides flats for people if they are unemployed etc."... this
doesn't seem to add up to me... are there 'genuinely' homeless people in Switzerland... ? and if so, why did they tell me nonsense at work ?

But they were talking about swissland and not Switzerland. So I would guess they were right.

Just because they make efforts to ensure there is no "need" to be homeless doesn't mean they are 100% able to tackle the issue of homelessness.

Since Switzerland is positioned the way it is, there probably are a lot of folks who somehow get "stuck" at the crossroads when heading elsewhere. Whether they get stuck for a few days, weeks, months or years and what ultimately happens to them depends upon the contact they make with authorities. Some folks who wind up homeless here (for however long) may come from areas where they have been left with an inherent mistrust of government officials in general and members of the law especially... so they may not get the help they actually need, out of avoidance.

In the summer time there are a lot of buskers who pass through Basel, I even met some American street performers when I flew here the first time. These folks could also be classified as "homeless" in some way, and may find themselves in need of help if the weather turns bad. As this winter has been pretty mild thus far, I'd not be surprised to think there are some of these sort of "homeless" here needing help now.

Just listened to an interview with the Zurich social services' "cold response cell" on Radion Zurisee. Apparently they know who is sleeping rough, and where, so last night they said they checked on all 7 who didn't report to a shelter. One could be persuaded to come to a shelter, six preferred to sleep rough. "These are tough guys, they have lots of blankets and plastic sheets which they use as a makeshift tent, and they also have spots to sleep that are more protected than what other homeless have", said the social services person. But he thought that some of the six would come to the shelters over the coming days, when the temperature drops even lower.

I am sure there are many illegal people begging here that would be reluctant to accept free shelter. When you have paid hundreds of Swiss Francs to get you into Switzerland, you will be reluctant to have any contact with officials, who might report you for possible expulsion.

There isn't much we can do about that, unless you want to go out and find them, and offer them your garage.

Many orphans in Bucharest Romania, used to live on the streets, and knew the warm places to sleep in, near air extractor vents etc.

The people mentioned on the radio aren't Romanian, or kids. They are Swiss drop-outs. Yes, they exist.

Most gypsies in Switzerland are Swiss citizens. The difference is NOT between gypsies and others but between citizens of the Canton where you are and outsiders. And private institutions like the one of "Pfarrer Sieber" http://www.swsieber.ch/ do not care about nationalities but rather about needs. Back to the gypsies, exactly those without permanent homes are closely knot and well organised communities.

According to Tagesanzeiger, they're down to three people in Zurich city sleeping rough. The others have come to the shelters.