St. Brother Albert’s Aid Society

It is an independent Catholic charity. 
The Society’s aim is to help the poor and homeless by following the ideas propagated by its patron, St. Brother Albert.

The society accomplishes its aims through

• establishing and running hostels, night shelters, permanent residence homes,
• social work, legal and psychological help, ministry
• running soup kitchens, bath houses, day rooms, clubs, organizing Christmas Eve suppers and Easter breakfasts, summer camps
• distributing food, clothes, appliances, household detergents, medicines
• cooperation with local and central government, the Catholic church, non-governmental organizations
• information activity, inspiring scientific research
• staff and volunteers training.

The Society has been acting since 1981.

It is the first non-governmental organization in Poland that started to help the homeless. Until 1989 it was named Adam Chmielowski’s Aid Society. It has 2 900 members organized in 62 circles. Each circle tries to establish a hostel, soup kitchen or other kind of help for the poor and homeless people.

“…each hungry person should be given food, a homeless one – a place to stay, and a naked – clothes. If you cannot give much, give little…”

In our centres we also attempt to obey this rule, which was followed in the shelters organized by St. Brother Albert.

We are running 75 shelters

Shelters for men

• 36 hostels with over 2000 places
• 2 hostels combined with a night shelter – 105 places
• 2 dormitories and 5 protected flats – 60 places
• 9 night shelters for 520 people
• 2 places for warming up – 50 places

Shelters for women and children

• 8 hostels for women and mothers with children with 260 places
• 1 children’s home where 45 children stays
• 1 night shelter for women – 16 places
• As well as 9 homes for the sick and the elderly where 260 people lives.

All in all, there are about 3300 people staying in these institutions.

and

• 14 soup kitchens and 2 eating places which serve 2900 meals daily
• a chemist’s supported by donations
• 5 free bath houses
• 13 centres of clothes and food distribution
• 3 day rooms, the Albertinian Club
• 8 Motivation Centres for the unemployed
• 4 Social Integration Clubs and Social and Career Reintegration Centre

As the need arises, we renovate and extend our institutions ourselves..

You will find more information about the Society in:

• a report on the activity of the Society in the last year
• a book by Father Jan Sledzianowski “St. Brother Albert’s Aid Society and homelessness” (available in our circles and the Main Board)