Poverty in our country is an emergency. There are approximately 5 million and 700 thousand Italians who live in absolute poverty, according to recent Istat data, that is, 9.8 percent of the population. A situation that causes very worried consequences, such as the postponement of medical visits, for economic reasons, of as many as 2 million citizens. For many Italians it is increasingly difficult to make ends meet and for many, making it to the end of the month is a challenge. It is also estimated that there are 96,000 people who are homeless or otherwise homeless with serious housing emergencies in the main Italian cities, including Rome and Milan, while the phenomenon of evictions is increasing.
In this difficult scenario, the Community of Sant’Egidio, present in many Italian cities with its “Friendship Houses”has increased its concrete support for those in difficulty. With the arrival of Christmas, the Community proposes, as a sign of closeness towards those who help throughout the year, a simple gesture within everyone’s reach: give a lunch worthy of December 25th, with a hearty meal and a personalized gift. It will be the sign of an Italy of solidarity that leaves no one behind.
Sant’Egidio is therefore launching the solidarity campaign again this year “At Christmas add a place at the table”: you can contribute by calling from a landline or by sending an SMS to the number 45586, from 1 to 27 December.
The Community is committed to tackling the different forms of poverty which do not only concern those living on the streets but more generally social isolation, health, education and housing. To combat school dropouts it launched the “Viva la scuola” program, while to tackle housing poverty it promoted the creation of a significant network of cohabitations in order to help elderly people in difficulty, the homeless and people with disabilities. For information: www.santegidio.org
