A Meal with Meaning for Vulnerable Families

With NOK 2.5 million from Kavli Trust, Stockholms Stadsmission (Stockholm City Mission) will further develop the initiative Unga Station (The Youth Station). Here, families with children in vulnerable situations are offered a sense of belonging and community through activities in which food and shared meals play a central role.

Unga Station is Stockholms Stadsmission’s programme aimed at children, young people, and their families when they face difficult life circumstances. It currently operates in the Stockholm districts of Södermalm, Tensta, and Vårberg.

“Unga Station is a meeting place where children, young people, and their families can experience safe togetherness and community, as well as receive guidance and support,” says Wafa Issa, Area Manager for the initiative at Stockholms Stadsmission.

NOK 2.5 million

Kavli Trust awarded Stockholms Stadsmission NOK 2.5 million in 2020–2021 to support the initiative.

“It is with great pleasure that Kavli Trust has decided to support Stockholms Stadsmission and their work with Unga Station. We are happy to contribute to giving more children and young people the opportunity to enjoy positive experiences with food and social connection,” says Guro Hjetland Sundsby, responsible for Kavli Trust’s grants in Sweden.

Rights and Change

“The funds from Kavli Trust will be used to create positive food memories at Unga Station. With this support, we can continue to develop our social rights and change-oriented work for children, young people, and their families, using shared meals as a method. This means a lot to our various programmes, and to the children, young people, and families we meet across Stockholm,” says Wafa Issa.

The project’s activities are guided by four objectives, ensuring that all children, young people, and families have:

• Access to a strong and supportive network
• Good health
• Knowledge of how society functions and the support available
• Meaningful leisure time

30,000 Meals a Year

In 2019, Unga Station had almost 27,000 visits across its different programmes, serving around 30,000 meals annually. Meals play a central role by meeting participants’ basic needs while fostering a sense of community and belonging in society.

“Being able to prepare good food together, and then enjoy it calmly while talking with others, is an important part of the work we do with our participants,” says Issa.

“The work we do aims to improve participants’ life situations and give them a greater sense of control over their own lives. Here, they experience a welcoming atmosphere, space to relax, and free, well-prepared meals. This provides the conditions to temporarily forget worries and instead create new, positive memories together.”

Engaged Participants

During meal times, participants are also offered educational activities designed to promote health and share information about healthy eating.

From time to time, participants are invited to help with cooking and presenting the food served. This allows them to apply and demonstrate their skills, share their knowledge, and feel joy and pride in their own food culture.

“Positive food experiences open the door to conversations, good relationships, and trust. We know from experience that participating in our meals makes it easier for people to take part in other community activities,” says Issa.

About Stockholms Stadsmission

• Stockholms Stadsmission is a non-profit organisation that has worked in social care, education, and employment integration in Sweden since 1853. Local City Missions exist in many Swedish cities.
• Its vision is a more humane society for all: “A society where everyone has the power to shape their own lives and access to housing, education, and employment. When more people experience that they can influence their own life situation and are given opportunities to participate in society, society becomes more humane for everyone.”
• The values of Stockholms Stadsmission are rooted in a Christian worldview, while maintaining an open approach to different beliefs.
• The organisation’s foundation is a patient and proactive love for people, with personal encounters as the primary tool.