Jan turned his life upside down. Now, more money is coming for "rolling living spaces."

KFUM’s Sociale Arbejde has received 15 million Danish kroner annually from the Folketinget (Danish Parliament) to fund its "Social Drive Out" initiative.

Listen to Jan Kenneth Petersen explain how his life would look different today if he hadn’t received help through "Social Drive Out." 40 minutes ago

If you're struggling or feeling lonely, you can visit your local drop-in center to get support and company.

But not everyone has the strength or the means to make the trip to a drop-in center themselves.

That’s why KFUM’s Sociale Arbejde has created mobile drop-in services, where they travel to those socially vulnerable.

> "It was a complete disaster. I only had 1,100 kroner left for myself after all expenses were paid."

> Jan Kenneth Petersen, user of "Social Drive Out"

The initiative is called "Social Drive Out," and the Danish Parliament has now decided to support it with 15 million kroner annually, allowing the service to expand to 300 routes across Denmark. This funding is part of the political agreement on the dignity reform. It means around 210 new routes will be added.

Birgit Axelsen works for KFUM’s Sociale Arbejde and visits 12 people in Haderslev Municipality every Monday. She always brings food with her:

- "It’s a small thing, but it means a lot," she says.

Watch Jan Kenneth Petersen show the groceries Birgit Axelsen brought for him:

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Got help with debt

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The first person she visits on her route is Jan Kenneth Petersen.

- "He always stands by the window waiting for me to arrive."

Jan Kenneth Petersen and the others Birgit Axelsen visits have been identified by the municipality as individuals needing extra support.

> "Sometimes it can be three or four days between when I talk to people."

> Carsten Lud Schumcher, user of "Social Drive Out"

For Jan Kenneth Petersen, it was his housing support who contacted Birgit Axelsen, partly because he had financial difficulties.

- "It was a complete disaster. I only had 1,100 kroner left for myself after all expenses were paid," he says.

But Birgit Axelsen connected him with one of KFUM’s volunteer debt advisors, and now reality looks different:

- "I can feel it in my wallet. I’m saving. I even have some money left over every month," says Jan Kenneth Petersen.

Listen to Jan Kenneth Petersen explain how Birgit Axelsen also helped him during his cancer treatment:

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A chat for a chat

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Another person who looks forward to Birgit Axelsen’s weekly visits is Carsten Lud Schumcher. He is a former deployed soldier and now suffers from PTSD.

- "I really look forward to every Monday morning. It means I can get something extra to eat. The money is a bit tight," he says.

> "Before, I could work for the money, but I can’t do that anymore."

> Sten Schmidt Jensen, user of "Social Drive Out"

But it’s not just the food that Carsten Lud Schumcher appreciates:

- "Every time she comes, we also get a little chat. A chat for a chat."

And it makes a big difference in his daily life:

- "I see it as a bright spot during the week. Sometimes it can be three or four days between when I talk to people," says Carsten Lud Schumcher.

Carsten Lud Schumcher always looks forward to Birgit Axelsen’s visits. Besides some essentials for the fridge, they also always have a good conversation. (Photo: © Emilie Gerstrup Rasmussen, DR)

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Lost some family and went down mentally

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Among the people Birgit Axelsen visits is also Sten Schmidt Jensen, who lives in Vojens. He is currently waiting for his early retirement pension:

- "Right now, I’m not in the best financial situation. Before, I could work for the money, but I can’t do that anymore. I’ve lost some family and have gone down mentally."

That’s why the essentials Birgit Axelsen brings are also very welcome:

- "It means a lot. The fact that she comes every Monday helps me get halfway through the week. And around Christmas, we got Christmas gifts—scarves and gloves, which was lovely."

But why not just go to the nearest drop-in center for help?

- "We have one of those here in Vojens too. But honestly, it’s really nice that they come out to us."

Sten Schmidt Jensen lives in Vojens with his cat Jeppe. He struggles to make ends meet while waiting for his early retirement pension, so it’s a great help when Birgit Axelsen stops by with some food. (Photo: © Emilie Gerstrup Rasmussen, DR)

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Started during corona

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The "Social Drive Out" initiative began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. When people couldn’t visit KFUM’s drop-in centers, staff went out to meet them, explains Birgit Axelsen:

- "We discovered that there are many people across Denmark who are hard to reach because they don’t make much effort to come forward."

It’s not always that citizens have the means to go out, so they chose to continue the initiative, she says.

- "It means that some of them, who might not have much contact with others, can ask about things, get help, or even call a doctor."

That’s why she’s also excited about the initiative’s expansion:

- "It’s really exciting because it means we can reach even further than we can today. So it’s really good."

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.