A safe community can be crucial when life gets tough. The volunteers at Café HØK in Aalborg know all about that. Here, the Depression Association runs Northern Jutland's only social café aimed at adults with depression, bipolar disorder, stress, anxiety, and OCD – and their relatives. Here, space is created for presence and development through conversations, self-help groups, and community-building activities.

– Here, you can come and become part of an informal and relaxed community, says project leader Dorthe Haslund.

For many of the café's users, life is marked by difficult periods. A place like Café HØK can therefore be an important helping hand.

– Many of those who come here feel that their world is heavy and sometimes dark. Therefore, there is a need to lift each other up and create a lighter and brighter atmosphere. They do this in the community they experience here at Café HØK, says Dorthe Haslund.

Café Høk opened in January 2024.

The daily work is supported by nearly 60 volunteers who create safe environments and meaningful conversations. Many have personally experienced mental vulnerability up close, while others come with a professional background.

– We have volunteers who are students in psychology or who are retired and have worked in the social sector. What they all have in common is that they want to make a difference – without payment. And that makes a big difference for the users, says Dorthe Haslund.

The donation of 8,749 kroner from Fonden Sol og Strand by Margit og Kjeld will be used for a joint Christmas trip to the Sculpture Park in Hune for about 30 participants.

– Donations like this make it possible for us to create shared experiences that extend far beyond the day itself, she says.

For Café HØK, community is not just a word – it is the guiding principle.

– Our mantra is that communities strengthen and develop. It encourages people to accompany each other, form bonds, and remain connected. For people with mental vulnerability, community can be the key to rediscovering courage, joy in life, and hope. And we experience that the community not only lives in the café – it continues outside as well, says Dorthe Haslund.

From January to early November 2025, there have been a total of 847 registered/participating in the café's social activities.