ALEXANDRIA – With law‘Increase in poverty also increases the commitment of Caritas of Alessandria and its “operational arm”, the Works of Justice and Charity Foundationto help those in difficulty. In the 2023 they were 5887 people were cared for by Caritasil 16% more than the previous year. Numbers behind which there are people, entire families and 481 “new faces”, men and women who knocked on the door of Caritas for the first time, on the 1st5% more than in 2022. I am increased by 30% in a year also the meetings at Diocesan listening center in via delle Orfanelle 25, which in 2023 managed 996 total hits.
Poverty in Italy has become “structural”affects almost one person in ten, and even in our territory more and more people have “need”sometimes not just material help.
In Alessandria the Diocese responds to the requests of those in difficulty thanks to the work of 14 employees of the Foundation Works of Justice and Charitya 60 generous volunteers “who with commitment and consistency dedicate their time to others” and a long list of partners, precious allies who have created a solid network that allows us to support those in a condition of economic and social fragility, they underlined Bishop of Alessandria, Monsignor Guido Galleseil Director of Caritas Giampaolo Mortara and the President of the Works of Justice and Charity Foundation, Roberto Massaro.
Thanks to the 8xmille quota, the contributions of the Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria Foundation for the “Cold Emergency” project and the funds made available by Cissaca, the Consortium of social services, in 2023 helped 246 families cwho were unable to pay their electricity or gas bills or their rent. They were 27.058, then, i meals provided by the “Tavola Amica” canteen which welcomes an average of 80 people every day. A new valuable service activated in 2023 also thanks to Fondazione Sociale is the‘Solidarity Emporium dove 127 families identified by the listening centres were able to go shopping spending not money but “points” assigned based on ISEE income. A shop designed to guide those in temporary economic difficulty towards independence which in 2023 made it possible to recover 10,800 kg of goods from the unsold circuitincluding fresh foods and products for personal hygiene and home care.
They are an indispensable shelter for more and more people, then, the two city hostels. In fact, the growing number of homeless people living on the streets of Alessandria is worrying, 450 according to the latest data from Caritas. The men’s hostel, in via Mazzini, can accommodate about twenty of them every evening but in winter it expands the number of beds to ensure shelter for 50 men. Last year, there were 189 guests of the men’s hostel and 37 women welcomed into the structure in via Marengowhich also provided shelter and services to 7 mothers and 16 children. The following were also guaranteed in 2023: shower service, which they access 15 to 20 people dailymostly men, the “Solidarity Gardens” project at Forte Acqui, which saw the assignment of 78 plots of land to people in difficulty or to pensioners, and the path of “housing sociale” in the 12 accommodations made available by the Diocese then in the in the last 4 years it has helped 18 young couples, single-parent families or individuals That they are unable to have job stability.
Last year is the activity of the “Nobody Excluded” clinic also grew by 30% managed by the association of the same name which counts today 18 doctors, 9 nurses, 2 administrators and 1 computer engineer, all volunteers. Professionals who insured last year 2096 medical visits to 970 patientsin 64% of cases women and children. In theclinic in via delle Orfanelle have been carried out internal medicine visits (408 in 2023 versus 317 in 2022), 156 visits pediatric (180% more than the 55 in 2022), 82 visits gynecological (there had been 22 the previous year), 196 visits dental (+45%), 230 conservative dental therapies (+7%) e 123 tooth extractions (+65%). In addition to providing healthcare services, the “Nessuno Escluso” clinic under the direction of Dr. Alberto Prete also carries out fundamental work of health education on the responsible consumption of medicines and oral hygiene, especially for the little ones. The “Nobody excluded” association has also signed an agreement with the ASL to carry out the pap test to women not registered in the National Health Service and who therefore escape the screening program for the prevention of cervical cancer and now, thanks to the contribution from the Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria Foundation, also has a new ultrasound machine equipped with 3 probes to make more accurate and timely diagnoses in patients who lack healthcare or cannot afford the cost of tickets or private services.
