Needy pensioners at Christmas

At Christmas, poverty becomes particularly visible for many pensioners.

Empty plates – cold apartments – evenings without family.
Our Christmas campaign brings a little warmth.

WE HELP PENSIONERS IN NEED

The 2025 Christmas Dinner

We supported needy retirees by providing them with Christmas packages that included a Christmas dinner.

There are older people in our community who have worked, supported, cared for, built up, and given of themselves their entire lives, yet still live in poverty today.

Retirees who have to choose between heating and food. People who used to support others and now can barely make ends meet themselves.

Because no one should go hungry in old age after a lifetime of work. This silent hardship is particularly evident at Christmas time.

While many of us sit at a festively set table, some of our elderly neighbors are experiencing something quite different: “An empty plate, a cold room, a night without a warm meal”

Through our Christmas campaign, we were able to provide pensioners living in poverty with a warm, festive Christmas meal—a meal that not only filled their stomachs but also warmed their hearts.

Through this Christmas campaign for retirees, we were able to help older adults who are particularly vulnerable to poverty, loneliness, and financial worries during the holiday season.

Thanks to your help, we were able to raise €3,600through this campaign to provide Christmas dinners, food packages, fruit baskets, grocery vouchers, and small gifts, thereby supporting 72 retirees .

At the same time, we launched a Christmas campaign called “Food for Christmas” for children and families in need (see also our projects, Children, Christmas campaign for children in need)

Both initiatives had the same goal: Through them, we were able to help a total of 222 people—bringing the spirit of Christmas to places where worry, loneliness, or poverty defined daily life.

Your commitment

Help us to help these pensioners!

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The figures

Pensioner poverty in Germany

In 2021, 4.9 million pensioners had a personal monthly net income of less than €1,000, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) based on the results of the microcensus.

This corresponds to 27.8% of pensioners. The proportion of elderly pensioners living in poverty has increased more sharply than in any other population group.

Almost 10 million pensioners in Germany are at risk of poverty in old age - despite decades of work.

All it takes is for a fridge to break down. But there's not enough money for fun either. No coffee and cake, no theater, no Christmas presents for the grandchildren.

Many of those affected feel ashamed of their situation. They often withdraw socially and risk becoming lonely. Chronic illnesses are common among poor older people. Poverty and illness can create a vicious circle.

Find our activities under Project Pensioners.