Tabita hands out hugs to the socially vulnerable in Aarhus V

Community, shared meals, counseling, and activities for both children and adults are at the heart of the work Tabita Jørgensen leads for struggling families in Aarhus V.

Tabita Jørgensen had some rather unusual dreams two or three years ago. She dreamt that she was walking around Citykirken Aarhus with families from diverse ethnic backgrounds. At the time, she was living in Copenhagen and had no intention of moving back to the area where she grew up: 8210 Aarhus V.
Before moving to Copenhagen, she helped establish a social initiative in Kolding called the Family Network (Familienetværket), where families facing difficult situations—due to unemployment, illness, bereavement, or divorce, for example—are met with open arms and warm hugs in a community with other families. They eat together, provide activities for the children, and offer counseling for adults on topics such as finances, parenting, and personal development. The network also offers to act as a support person during meetings with public authorities and others.

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Some people need a hug
In her dream, it was exactly this kind of work that Tabita Jørgensen was involved in.
- Even though I had no plans to move to Aarhus, ever since my time in Kolding, I had dreamed of seeing the Family Network spread to other cities in Denmark. So, there was a familiar element to the dream. Later, things developed in such a way that our family actually moved to Aarhus, and because of those dreams, I wasn't the least bit surprised when Citykirken Aarhus asked if I would join a group tasked with launching a social initiative in the local area, she says.
Citykirken Aarhus is located right next to the Bispehaven residential area, which has been called a "sore spot" for Aarhus by the local newspaper, Aarhus Stiftstidende, due to unrest, vandalism, crime—and, more recently, gang conflicts.
- In the group, we agreed that the Family Network from Kolding was a concept that would fit the needs of the area perfectly. Through it, we could reach out to the poor, the broken, the lonely, and the fatherless. We wanted to stop and focus on the individual, identify their needs, and then try to meet them.
- Some people need a hug, others need to be seen and encouraged, some need a shoulder to cry on, while others need food to survive the rest of the month. Still others need help navigating contact with the municipality, says Tabita Jørgensen.

People feel loved
The Family Network meets every other Wednesday afternoon and evening, and there are 70 volunteers involved in the work. The leadership team, which coordinates the efforts, consists of nine people, all of whom have relevant professional backgrounds—Tabita Jørgensen is a pedagogue and deacon, and they have a psychologist on call for personal counseling.
- We are inviting families in crisis, so we need to have a solid organization in place. Furthermore, it is very important to train and prepare the volunteers to take care of the people who come. The volunteers have different skills, and they just need to use what comes naturally to them. Some make coffee, others provide debt counseling, while others wash dishes or organize activities for children. Everything is put to use here.
- We help with many different things. Parenting; the unwritten rules of society; suppressed emotions; difficulties with children who have diagnoses; poverty at home—in all these areas, we are allowed to give people a lift. Every evening, I try as much as possible to connect with everyone who comes. Each person is valuable, and we want them to feel and understand that.
- And it clearly works, because the users say they feel loved here—and that makes them open up and accept the help we offer. We have people who have never opened up to the municipality or the psychiatric system, but who let their guard down here. It is truly amazing to witness!

Received an initiative award
Tabita Jørgensen herself grew up in poverty in Aarhus V, and some of the people who come to the Family Network have turned out to be people she went to school with and grew up alongside.
- They tell me that since so much has happened in my life since I lived there, they believe it can happen for them too, she smiles.
In September, the Family Network in Aarhus received the Kristeligt Dagblad Initiative Award—one of the reasons for the award was that the concept is very easy to replicate in other cities, regardless of their size. That is also what is happening right now. In addition to Kolding and Aarhus, the Family Network now exists in Aalborg, Copenhagen, Næstved, Silkeborg, Vejle, Middelfart, and Herning, with more cities on the way.
As a new initiative in 2017, Blue Cross has begun working in Aarhus, Aalborg, Kolding, and Copenhagen, where they contribute with fundraising, PR, and professional guidance. In Aarhus, 60 families make use of the Family Network, a similar situation applies in Copenhagen, while Aalborg has just recently started.
JL

Photo and video: Christoffer Fryd/Morten Gram