From the day after the flood San Terenzio House of Faenza, a structure intended for meetings and catechism of our parish groups Parish of San Terenzio in Cattedrale and San Domenicoit turned into a help center for the numerous flood victims of our parish, which includes some of the most affected streets. In the first days and weeks our volunteers provided sandwiches (even 1,500/2,000 per day), snacks, water and drinks to those who shoveled mud and cleaned houses and businesses. Gradually the need emerged to also provide shopping parcels and cleaning products to the flooded families. AND the solidarity that was set in motion was incredible: from all over Italy, and from Verona and Bergamo in particular, food, clothing, sheets, blankets and everything needed for those who had lost everything arrived. The first van with submersible pumps, a generator that served an entire condominium for a few weeks, boots, shovels and water pumps arrived already in the first weekend, and for weeks the volunteers from Veneto and Bergamo came every week with vans full of food and material for the flood victims.
As the months passed, the parish Caritas continued to distribute food to the flooded families of the parish, personal care and household hygiene products, clothing, linen, household objects and small appliances. About 200 families have passed through Casa San Terenzio, which at the moment has been reduced to about 70 nuclei still followed, given the difficulties in returning to homes submerged by 6/8 meters of water. By organizing some convivial occasions and moments of sharing for the most important holidays, we tried to offer the flooded families of the parish community opportunities to meet. In particular, for the elderly, who had lived in their homes for decades, maintaining deep friendships with their neighbors, the flood meant the division of entire families, both the separation from their neighbors/friends: offering a space in which to meet again, and share experiences and stories, renewing old bonds, was important for them and touching for us volunteers.
The greatest difficulty, rather than practical and organizational, it was on an emotional level that of welcoming and talking to people who had completely lost everything. As volunteers, we offered a shoulder to cry on (and how many times we cried with them!) trying to find the right words and gestures to stay close to these people. There have been many positive moments: many people have become our friends, and share with us the struggle of returning home. There are many messages and words of thanks that reach us and move us.
