A conversation with four visitors in a café where homeless people, beggars and migrant workers meet.
On the evening of December 22, three days before Christmas, dozens of men, women and children crowded the door of Café Yucca in Zurich’s Niederdorf. Inside, Kurt Rentsch, the manager of the café, and the team from the “Tischlein deck dich” relief organization are making the final preparations for the big distribution campaign before the holidays: food parcels are stacked on chairs and tables. In the small back room, which otherwise serves as a chapel, there are festively wrapped presents for the children.
Kurt Rentsch has been working at Café Yucca, which belongs to Solidara Zurich (formerly Zurich City Mission), for 30 years. What began in the 1970s as a café for young people has, over the years, become a meeting place for a wide variety of people in difficult life situations. The aid organization is financed by donations, contributions from the city and the churches in the city of Zurich.
“Every day is Christmas for us. We don’t leave anyone alone in need»: Kurt Rentsch is team leader at Café Yucca.
The needy, the homeless, beggars and migrant workers meet in the “Yucca” for free meals and tea. Sleeping bags and, in an emergency, warm clothes are also distributed. According to official estimates, two to three dozen people live in the city of Zurich without a home. However, Rentsch assumes that the number could be much higher. He says: “Last year alone we gave away 100 sleeping bags.”
Glitter, mica and heaps of gifts: those who cannot partake in it quickly feel left out – during the festive season even more than usual. “For many of our guests, Christmas Eve is the worst night of the year,” says Kurt Rentsch. Before Christmas, the willingness to help in society is greatest – many donated out of a guilty conscience. “But after Christmas Eve, the generosity decreases rapidly.”
Rentsch and his team don’t want to make a big deal out of the holidays. Café Yucca is closed on Christmas Eve. “Our visitors are already under the stress of having to be everywhere that has something for free,” says Rentsch with a smile. But already on December 25, many people would be back on the streets. Then a game ragout with noodles and vegetables is served in the «Yuca», along with a fine dessert.
Rentsch says: “We want to convey a piece of Christmas every day. We are there for people in need.”
Marcel: “I feel lonely on Christmas Eve”
“I’m on my own at Christmas. A few years ago I lost my apartment. I lived there with my mother for 28 years, we always partied together. But then she got Alzheimer’s. I took care of her for a long time, but at some point it was no longer possible. I had a nervous breakdown and she had to be in a nursing home. My father died and my sisters live their own lives. One of them lives in Brazil and the other is celebrating with her son. There is no place for me there.
Marcel does not have a positive image of the city of Zurich.
The city is deserted on Christmas Eve. I feel lonely then. But luckily there are some Christmas parties again this year that I can attend. I want to celebrate in the sanctuary near the Grossmünster. There is cooked ham and rice to eat there. You can also watch films or make candles – if you have that much patience. And there is always someone who plays the accordion. Music has accompanied me throughout my life.
I’m worried about my living situation. At the moment I’m living with a couple of students in a shared flat. But I have to move out there in the spring because they want to give the room to a student. I don’t want to go to the emergency shelter. It’s on Rosengartenstrasse and it’s so loud there that I can’t stand it. I inquired at a cooperative, but was literally laughed at. The demand was so great that they no longer even kept a waiting list, they said.
I grew up in Zurich and have lived here for a long time, but my judgment of the city is not that positive. It’s hard to meet people here if you don’t have commercial interests. Many people seem cold and materialistic. I would rather live in Italy or California. But what you have to say despite everything: Unlike abroad, there is a safety net in Zurich with offers like Café Yucca.»
Claudia: “I’ve been coming here for 50 years”
“Christmas is a beautiful celebration for me. Many people are warm and give each other gifts. I’m lucky to be able to celebrate Christmas with my family. That’s why I won’t be coming to Café Yucca over the Christmas period. But I’ve also celebrated it in the café. I have very fond memories of this Christmas.
Hardly anyone knows Café Yucca as well as Claudia.
I’m probably the person who’s been coming to Café Yucca the longest. I’ve been a regular here for almost 50 years. It used to be a youth café, a restaurant where young people were not forced to eat. The youngsters kept getting older.
I think it’s very nice that you’re welcome here, even if you’re not consuming. This is not possible in a normal restaurant. If you don’t have any money, you’re thrown out. Kurt and his team do it really, really well. I usually sit at the regulars’ table. It’s easy to get into conversations with other people.
There are some visitors that I have known since the early days. Unfortunately, many have also died. And some suddenly disappeared. The guitar Peach, for example, I’ve never seen that again.
Otherwise not much has changed in the last 50 years.
I come to the ‘Yucca’ to meet other people when I’m in Zurich. That’s not so often the case anymore because I now live in Zurich’s Weinland region. I used to be here every day. But I like it better in the country. Above all, driving a car: I always come to the city by train because driving a car is not fun here.”
George: «The land flowing with milk and honey»
“I grew up in a children’s home in Bucharest. I had no future in Romania. A year ago I took the train to Switzerland alone. For me it is the land where milk and honey flow. I see my future in Switzerland. I don’t miss my home country at all. There is no work there, the country is completely broken. I like it much better in Switzerland.
George is happy that there is a warm meal at Café Yucca.
I live in a room just outside of Zurich. I go to Café Yucca every day. Many different people come here, but I prefer to be alone. I actually come to the ‹Yucca› mainly to eat and drink. There is always a warm meal. I always sit at a different table, wherever there is an empty seat. I don’t know the other people that well. When I’m not here, I often go for a walk or listen to music.
I can also rent work clothes here. You should bring them back later. It has to do with respect. I don’t have a permanent position. I have applied to various places, some answers are still pending. I do what I’m told and I’m willing to learn any work if someone shows me.
I’m not feeling well at the moment. My partner left me six months ago. I have to think about her all the time. The only one who stands by my side is God. I speak to him often. Some say I’m crazy. But it helps me. I have no one else to talk to about my problems. If you’re feeling bad, friends are gone quickly. God is always there for you.
I don’t know where I’ll be on Christmas Eve yet.”
Peter: “I’m staying in a public restroom”
“Two years have passed since Heidi died. I always have a picture of her in my breast pocket. I miss her a lot. She was a wonderful woman and I loved her. When she died, it pulled the rug out from under my feet and I ended up on the street. I’m ‹id Schissi cho› and have been homeless ever since.
It was very cold outside last week, so I keep coughing. Mostly sleep in a public restroom. At least it’s a little warm there. You can close the door and you are protected from the wind.
Two years ago I went to Café Yucca for the first time. Various factors make the café a special place for me: I like the ambiance, it’s very cozy and informal. I always feel welcome here. It is also important for me that I have internet access here, as I often work on the computer. I come here several times a week.
Sometimes I prefer to be left alone and retreat to a corner. Sometimes I also like to be among people. There used to be more conflicts at Café Yucca, now things have calmed down. I know a lot of people here. I meet some not only in the café, but also in other places in the city.
I like Christmas very much. I’ve already been to five Christmas dinners this year, including at the Fraumünster and in a steakhouse in the canton of Aargau. I don’t know yet what I’m going to do on Christmas Eve. There are people who are better off than me. But I’m not jealous.
My Christmas wish would be decent accommodation.”