Erfurt (dpa/th) – In the clothing stores in Thuringia, demand has been higher than usual for months – with the falling temperatures, the facilities are expecting an even stronger rush. “The number of people in need is increasing everywhere, especially in Erfurt,” said Thomas Müller from the Caritas Association for the Diocese of Erfurt, summing up the situation in his organization’s clothing stores. In some places there could be a lack of warm winter clothing. The big “run” through cold and rising costs is still to come, said Müller.
This assessment is shared by other institutions surveyed in northern Thuringia, Erfurt and Schmalkalden. Depending on the location, the operators have to contend with a wide variety of problems. In addition to rising energy costs, there are space problems in some places. The North Thuringian Caritas is urgently looking for volunteers, in Erfurt there is not only a lack of space, but also of drivers to collect donations.
According to the spokesman, the Caritas of the Diocese of Erfurt operates clothing stores in Erfurt and Weimar, an exchange for children’s clothing in Nordhausen and five social department stores in northern Thuringia and Meiningen. According to a spokesman, eight clothing stores are grouped together under the umbrella of the Diakonie. According to a spokesman, the German Red Cross has 25 clothing stores in Thuringia. Individual district associations are planning to expand or update their offerings.
