'One warm winter' campaign huge hit in Berlin

One of the campaign images by Oliver Rath.

By Katrin Schmoll

Winter is the toughest season for over 1000 homeless people in the German capital Berlin. The shelters are often overcrowded and there is a permanent lack of warm clothing for the homeless. Many of them get sick or even freeze to death on the street.

Aiming to collect money and warm clothes for its vendors and others affected by the cold winter weather, Berlin-based street paper Strassenfeger launched the charity campaign 'One warm winter' in partnership with advertising agency DOJO. Online deal website Groupon also got on board by adverting a special 'charity deal' on its website. Supported by German celebrities like actor and musician Wilson Gonzales Ochsenknecht and photographer Oliver Rath who took the campaign pictures, the campaign spread fast across social media.

Chip in for a coat

'Chipping in' for a warm coat for a Berlin vendor.

The fundraising principle behind the campaign is simple: login with your Facebook account and with just one click, you can donate one Euro and chip in for a warm jacket. As coats cost 30 euro each, your photo will be added to 1/30th of a coat appearing on screen. You can then share the picture of your 'image-quilted' coat via social media and encourage your friends to chip in, too.

Across the city, other fundraisers have been held as part of the campaign as well, including clothes collections and fundraising gigs. Posters all over town remind passers-by to donate.

Strassenfeger said that the initual success of the campaign was overwhelming, with 35,000 Euro collected in the first 10 days. Donations can still be made online.