The Italian Salvation Army’s Winter Action

Foto Monica Vitillo

Rome (NEV), January 17, 2017 – As every winter the thermometer drops and as every year the Italian Salvation Army goes out in the streets. Starting from Rome, were the Salvation Army volunteers go out twice a week – on Wednesday and on Sunday – from 7PM to 11PM to distribute some 300 meals, 30 liters of tea and blankets. With a van, a contribution of the Church of Scotland, it is possible to cover the whole area of the historical centre of the capital.

Joined by the Community of St. Egidio and Caritas, the Salvation Army volunteers were among the first people to establish physical contacts with the discomfort of the homeless ones. “Together with churches and associations we are almost 40 groups, everyone with its own area and timetable so to avoid overlapping” – explains sergeant Massimo Cosentino, coordinator of the Salvation Army’s Winter Relief project.

If solidarity has grown it is also because needs have increased. According to the Salvation Army, the human panorama living in the Italian streets is extremely diverse: “Out of the almost 300 persons that we assist daily, the 30% are Italians: divorced sleeping in cars; middle-age people who lost their job and cannot cover the housing mortgage; retired persons who cannot afford to pay their rent anymore; but also young people just out of jail with no perspective for the future. In addition to that, there are of course all the more varied cases of foreigners who used to pass through our country, but now, with the closure of the borders, are forced to remain here. Sometimes it is hard to collect this information because those who are in need are generally very reserved”.

Thanks to appeals spread by local televisions, on Sunday last, the Salvation Army volunteers were also supported by the spontaneous solidarity of the citizens. For its part, the Municipality of Rome decided to leave open through the night some of the metro stations. “Our center in the ‘San Lorenzo’ district is always open, day and night” – said the sergeant, launching an appeal to all citizens to leave clothing or useful items that will be distributed in these exceptional cold days.

A new initiative was launched lately in the neighborhood of San Lorenzo: “The pending cappuccino”. In these very cold days – recalling the Neapolitan tradition of “The pending coffee” – in four coffee shops of the area it is possible “to leave paid” a hot cappuccino for those who cannot afford to pay for it. In the shops the Salvation Army left a cup in which whoever wants can leave the cash voucher for a “pending cappuccino” – to be noted, the voucher, no cash money, to avoid tax evasion. “The warmth of a community in a cup”, this is the slogan of the initiative explained in a poster put up in the coffee bars.