ACIREALE (ITALPRESS) – Economic support, ad hoc training courses and replacement of household appliances for families in conditions of energy poverty: the Energy in the Suburbs project, promoted by the Energy Bank, has also arrived in Acireale, which will provide support to around 70 families in the territory in conditions of economic and social vulnerability.
The interventions, carried out in the area thanks to the contribution of JTI Italia, one of the main players in the Italian tobacco market and always at the forefront on sustainability issues, and the coordination of Banco dell’Energia in collaboration with the ODV Società di S. Vincenzo Dè Paoli – Central Council of Acireale, provide for concrete actions such as the payment of energy bills, issued by any operator, the promotion of a training and education path on energy efficiency and saving and the replacement of high consumption household appliances for some of the beneficiaries, as well as the participation of some volunteers from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the course to become TED – Tutor for Domestic Energy in order to acquire skills that can be put at the service of families in difficulty.
The initiative was presented today at the Municipal Palace of Acireale, in the presence of the Mayor of the city Roberto Barbagallo and the Councilor for Public Education, Social Policies and Health, Ports and State Property Valentina Pulvirenti.
Also speaking during the inauguration were Mons. Agostino Russo, Vicar General of the Diocese of Acireale; Silvia Pedrotti, Head of the Banco dell’Energia Foundation;
Alessandra Goretti, Corporate Affairs & Communication Manager of JTI Italia and Rosario Russo, President of the ODV Society of San Vincenzo Dè Paoli – Central Council of Acireale.
“The construction of networks, solidarity and collaboration between important companies and the world of volunteering are the ingredients of this project” observed the mayor Roberto Barbagallo. “This project aims not only to provide immediate and concrete help, but to definitively improve the future of many families in our area. Our heartfelt thanks go to Banco dell’Energia, JTI Italia and the Society of San Vincenzo De Paoli for their commitment”.
The project, in fact, has the support of the Municipality of Acireale in raising awareness on the issue of energy transition by opening an Energy Desk that can support citizens and families on the issues of energy awareness. Also valuable is the collaboration in the area with the ODV Società di S. Vincenzo dè Paoli – Central Council of Acireale, the implementing body which has already identified most of the beneficiaries of the project and will continue the activity in collaboration with the Social Services of the Municipality of Acireale.
The initiative, launched in April, will last approximately eight months and will include a final phase of measuring the impact and effectiveness of the initiative in order to replicate new projects in the field of efficiency and accessible energy transition .
“Energy in the Acireale Suburbs” also renews the partnership between Banco dell’Energia and JTI Italia, in continuity with what has been implemented in previous initiatives, such as the Umbrian stage of the project. In addition to the subjects already mentioned, academic figures, private companies and institutions are also involved in the initiative, with a networking perspective that allows us to make a tangible and lasting contribution to the fight against energy poverty.
“We are proud to continue the collaboration with JTI Italia, and expand the Energy Bank’s activity in Sicily, this time in the province of Catania. This is a tangible signal of the effectiveness of this project which allows energy support for vulnerable families or those at risk of slipping into more serious situations. Thanks to this initiative, 70 families in the municipality of Acireale will have the opportunity to face energy costs, and will be able to have more efficient household appliances in their homes, which have a far less impact on consumption – this is the speech by Silvia Pedrotti, Manager of Banco dell’Energia – It is a duty to thank the organizations that support us, such as JTI Italia, and the associations such as the ODV Società di San Vincenzo Dè Paoli, fundamental in giving substance to the objectives and mission of the Foundation”.
“Being here today, together with the Energy Bank, for such an important initiative makes us extremely proud – declared Lorenzo Fronteddu, Corporate Affairs and Communication Director of JTI Italia. “For us at JTI, actively engaging in support of the communities in which we operate has always represented a central element of our corporate philosophy and thanks to projects like these we are able to bring them to fruition. It is therefore a pleasure and an honor, after having contributed to the implementation of Energia in Periphery Umbria, a project which has supported numerous families in the area, to renew our collaboration here in Acireale too”.
Energy in the suburbs represents a very important tool, even more so in reference to the numbers of energy poverty in Italy; a phenomenon which, according to the OIPE – Italian Observatory on Energy Poverty, affects 7.7% of the total population, equal to 2 million families at risk of sliding towards energy vulnerability, with a surge that in Sicily reaches 14.6%. The initiative, already active at a national level, is promoted by Banco dell’Energia in order to provide support to families in situations of energy poverty residing in the peripheral areas of Italian cities and in small municipalities.
“Our Association has always been close to vulnerable families with support that goes beyond economic aid,” underlined Rosario Russo, President of the ODV Society of San Vincenzo De Paoli Central Council of Acireale. “We accompany these families on a journey of personal growth, aimed at bringing them out of a situation of need. This project perfectly embodies the charisma of our association, offering a prospect of lasting and tangible improvement.”
“What you have presented is a precious and praiseworthy initiative”, concluded Monsignor Agostino Russo, Vicar General of the Diocese of Acireale. “Supporting the poorest families, helping them to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle, is an asset that benefits not only the direct beneficiaries of the project, but the entire community. It also expresses that attention to the protection of Creation which fully responds to the appeal of Pope Francis in the Encyclical Laudato Sì”.
-photo JTI Italia press office –
(ITALPRESS).
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