Every Monday, former addicts can visit Terminal 1. Together with the volunteers, they cook, do yoga or paint. The results of the users' painting work can be seen in the many pictures hanging on the walls.  

This is what Berit, who is a team leader in Terminal 1 and has been a Red Cross volunteer for 13 years, says. Monday afternoons in Terminal 1 are a stark contrast to her job at Novo Nordisk and have given her a feeling of making a difference.  
 
– There are people who appreciate me coming here. I also notice that if I just went straight home from work, it might feel a bit like a void, because I feel happy when I've been down here, and it gives me a lot of energy, says Berit and continues:  
 
– I meet some people that I might not necessarily want to meet, and who have something different to offer than what I'm used to. I get some different perspectives on life, you could say. 

 
“If this place hadn't been here, I would be sitting down on a bench and drinking” 

One thing that has surprised Berit is how open the users are about their situation. Many of them have had a hard life, and Berit finds that they are willing to share what they have been through.  

 
– Sometimes we sit and talk about something else, and then suddenly we come across something that matters. Sometimes we have conversations in plenary with both participants and volunteers, and then suddenly someone opens up.  

For Berit, it shows a great deal of trust, and many of the conversations with the participants have made an impression. But one episode in particular stands out.  
 
– Someone said to me: “If this place hadn’t been here, I would sit down on a bench and drink.” It just makes you know that it’s good that we have places like this here. I think it makes it all worth it when you get those comments, she says.  
 
According to Berit, the trust may be due to the participants experiencing that Terminal 1 does not feel like the institutions many of them encounter in their everyday lives. 
 
– It could be job centers or the municipality or other places that they experience as very institutional. But it's precisely here that they actually feel that it's a bit like home, says Berit.  

How is Terminal 1? 

On Monday at 16 pm, Terminal 1 opens and, in collaboration with the volunteers, the evening's tasks are assigned - some cook, others set the table, while some clean up.  

 
– We usually say that it should be the participants who run these things, but we are there as a kind of facilitator. And of course we help with cooking, but it is such a “do, be and learn” place, so we would like them to take some responsibility and show initiative, says Berit.  

In addition to cooking, the volunteers and participants usually play cards, some play the piano, while others paint. Sometimes some of the participants also get help using a computer, for example if they need to apply for a job.  
 
– In addition, I give something called NADA. It is a form of ear acupuncture, where specific points in the ear are stimulated with small needles, which is used for people who have cravings for drugs or alcohol. It is actually also normally used in places where people go for addiction treatment, and we also offer that here on Mondays, says Berit.  
 
There are an average of three volunteers on duty every Monday, and Berit is there every other Monday. For her, the community among the volunteers also plays an important role in her being a part of Terminal 1.  

– From a selfish point of view, you could say that I also get a sense of community among the other volunteers. So we also get to do some things together because we are just as different as everyone else is, so I actually think that I get something that is rewarding for me. 

A new network and an opportunity to succeed 

The purpose of Terminal 1 is to give users the opportunity to build a new network and give them an experience of success.  
 
– Someone might find others with whom they can go to the cinema or do other things together. They have different successes. For one, getting clean is a success, for another it is getting an education and for a third it is maybe getting a job. So they have different successes, and you also follow that a little bit. And I actually think that is a nice thing, says Berit.  

Berit experiences that some participants come back and have a cup of coffee after they have moved on from Terminal 1, while others come back because they have had a hard time again.  
 
– I actually think that's a bit nice because it shows us that they have faith in the place and actually want to be here, and they know that we're not judgmental down here. Everyone can bring what they have.  

Berit hopes that participants walk out the door at Terminal 1 with a feeling that someone wishes them well. 
 
– Many of them have experienced failure after failure. But here you actually want to do something and give them faith in themselves. And then I experience having some success stories down here, and that's why I also believe that we make a difference by having a place like Terminal 1.