Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit

What Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit does

Tragwerk Luzern, formerly known as Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit, is a Swiss non-profit association (Verein) headquartered in Luzern that delivers social services to people affected by addiction and poverty across Central Switzerland (Zentralschweiz). Its service portfolio spans six branded lines: food services (gassechuchi - K+A), family support including youth and child programs (tragwerk familie), individual counseling (beratungPLUS), mobile street outreach (tragwerk mobil), drug information and harm reduction (tragwerk drogeninfo), and pastoral care (tragwerk seelsorge). The organization also runs public-engagement activities including information events, a publication (GasseZiitig), a podcast, school teaching materials, and film/media productions.

The organization operates as a non-profit, fundraised entity with no commercial pricing model: services are provided free or at subsidized rates to beneficiaries, and revenue is generated through donations, bequests, public grants, and modest social enterprise income from a catering operation (Gasstrokult) and a kiosk. The structure is that of a typical Swiss charitable association with a governing body (Trägerschaft) and a small professional staff of approximately 10 employees. It holds Zewo, SQS, and Fachstelle UND certifications, which are the standard quality marks for Swiss charitable organizations and gateways to institutional donor funding.

The underlying technology is minimal: the organization is a human-delivered services entity without proprietary software, APIs, or digital platforms. Its distribution is direct — street outreach, a Luzern headquarters, mobile units, and family service locations — operating within a strict regional scope confined to Central Switzerland. The recent rebranding from Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit to Tragwerk Luzern signals an intentional broadening of mission and geographic ambition within the Zentralschweiz region, but the operational footprint and revenue model remain those of a small, donation-dependent community Verein.

Name

Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit

Legal name

Tragwerk Luzern

Website

https://gassenarbeit.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tragwerk Luzern (formerly Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit) is a Swiss non-profit association in Luzern providing street outreach, food, counseling, family services, and pastoral care to addiction- and poverty-affected individuals across Central Switzerland, funded by donations and modest social enterprise income.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Social welfare services
• Addiction support services
• Poverty relief services
• Street outreach programs
• Humanitarian aid services

Headquarters

HQ city

Luzern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit, now operating as Tragwerk Luzern, is a non-profit association that provides free professional social services to people affected by addiction and poverty across Central Switzerland. Its core offerings include medical basic care, healthy nutrition (gassechuchi - K+A kitchen and dining), individual life-support counseling (beratungPLUS), family and youth services (tragwerk familie), mobile street outreach (tragwerk mobil), drug information and harm reduction (drogeninfo), and pastoral care (seelsorge).

Product overview

Tragwerk Luzern (formerly Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit) is a non-profit organization providing comprehensive social services to addiction- and poverty-affected individuals across Central Switzerland. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected services including the Gassechuchi food service, family support programs (tragwerk familie with dedicated youth and children areas), individual counseling (beratungPLUS), mobile outreach (tragwerk mobil), drug information services, and pastoral care. Public engagement activities include information events, the GasseZiitig publication, catering services (Gasstrokult), film and media productions, and a podcast. The organization was formerly known as 'Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit' and rebranded to Tragwerk Luzern.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• tragwerk gassechuchi - K+A: Kitchen and dining services for people on the street
• tragwerk familie
• tragwerk beratungPLUS
• tragwerk mobil
• tragwerk drogeninfo
• tragwerk seelsorge

Products and services

• tragwerk gassechuchi - K+A
• tragwerk familie
• tragwerk beratungPLUS
• tragwerk mobil
• tragwerk drogeninfo
• tragwerk seelsorge
• Catering Gasstrokult
• Kiosk

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Blaues Kreuz Schweiz: Swiss nonprofit focused on addiction prevention, counseling, and support services for people affected by substance use. Directly comparable in the addiction and harm reduction space, including drogeninfo-type offerings.
• Caritas Schweiz: Large Swiss nonprofit providing social assistance, family support, food aid, and counseling services. Highly comparable multi-service social support model serving people affected by poverty across Switzerland.
• Winterhilfe Schweiz: Swiss nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty through direct assistance, food, and material support. Overlaps with Tragwerk Luzern's poverty-focused work and food distribution (Gassechuchi).
• Heilsarmee Schweiz (Salvation Army Switzerland): Swiss arm of the Salvation Army delivering comparable wraparound social services including addiction support, food programs, family services, and pastoral care for vulnerable populations across Switzerland. Most direct functional peer to Tragwerk Luzern.
• Sozialwerk Pfarrer Sieber: Zurich-based Christian social services organization offering medical care, shelter, food, and counseling to people affected by addiction and homelessness. Closely comparable service model and Christian-affiliated nonprofit structure.

Regional players

• Contact Netz Bern: Bern-based social services organization providing street work, counseling, and support for people affected by addiction and poverty. Functionally comparable street-outreach model in a different Swiss canton.

Broad incumbents

• Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz (Swiss Red Cross): Switzerland's largest humanitarian organization offering social assistance, health services, and family support. Operates at much greater scale with overlapping capabilities but covers a much broader mandate.

Emerging players

• Sucht Schweiz (Addiction Switzerland): National nonprofit focused on addiction prevention, research, and information services in Switzerland. Comparable to Tragwerk Luzern's drogeninfo and harm reduction work, though more focused on prevention than direct outreach.
• Die Dargebotene Hand (Tel 143): Swiss emotional support and crisis helpline service. Comparable in the counseling and pastoral care space that Tragwerk Luzern offers through beratungPLUS and seelsorge, with national coverage rather than regional.
• Pro Mente Sana: Swiss nonprofit advocating for mental health and psychosocial support. Overlaps with Tragwerk Luzern's counseling and family support services for vulnerable populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verein-kirchliche-gassenarbeit

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Verein Kirchliche Gassenarbeit