In a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in southern Italy, the “Saint Pope Francis Laundry” has been opened, which has showers to help poor or homeless people wash their clothes and maintain personal hygiene. The free service is provided in collaboration with the Pope’s charity, Procter & Gamble, Caritas of the diocese of Oppetto Mamertina-Palmi and Upper Europe.
vatican news
Vatican City, Wednesday, November 27, 2024: More than clean clothes and blankets, this is a question of dignity. In the tent cities – or rather “favorites” – of Sant Ferdinand, a Calabrian city of about 175,000 inhabitants, hundreds of thousands of African immigrants live in poverty and misery, waiting for their residence permits. Many people work in the fields, often without a work contract. On November 27, the Pope’s charity reached this industrial area of Reggio Calabria with the inauguration of the seventh “Pope Francis Laundry”. Previously, they were opened in cities such as Rome, Genoa, Turin, Naples and Catania, etc.
This initiative, developed and promoted by Procter & Gamble Italy in collaboration with Higher Europe, with the support of Apostolic Donors and Caritas of the Diocese of Oppetto Mamertina-Palmi, serves immigrants, the poor and the homeless, helping them to wash their clothes and blankets and provide them Personal care Helps maintain cleanliness. As expected, all services are completely free.
“There are moped license plates, we have nothing”
“This is a way to restore dignity to people who are not dying of hunger, but because they feel invisible,” Cardinal Konrad Kraiński, the pope’s benefactor, told Vatican media. The residents of Sant Ferdinando, mainly immigrants from Senegal, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and other parts of Africa, have been living there for 15 years, even without identification. “When I got there, I asked them, ‘What do you want?’ Do you know what they told me? ‘We want to be seen!'” Cardinal Krayski said. “A young man looked me in the eyes and said: ‘We have lived here for many years. We need documents. The mopeds have license plates, but as humans we have nothing.'”
Bathroom and laundry services.
The project includes several initiatives. There are even plans to add barber services, which are interconnected to serve all men (age range is 18 to 60) who do not have access to even the most basic services. These efforts are part of the expressions of hope and mercy that the Pope has asked dioceses around the world to implement in preparation for the next Jubilee.
Bishop Giuseppe Alberti asked: “What signs can we give?” Many organizations already provide food, Michelle Vomera said, so hunger is not the main problem. Sanitation emerged as the greatest need,” “So, with a wonderful synergy between Cardinal Kraiński and several organizations, we started this project.”
a supportive community
“For our community, this is a wonderful sign,” commented the Caritas director, eager to describe the vibrant solidarity in this region, where “immigrants outnumber Italians.” The integration is “peaceful” and the relationships are “beautiful.” In addition to foreign workers, some Afghan families have settled in abandoned houses with subsidized rents. They live in peace, have created a small economy and manage two supermarkets. “You can say that it is thanks to these people that the city flourishes.”
In the midst of all this, the Pope’s benefactor has come to San Fernando to remind everyone that “dignity does not mean living in a tent, but having a house, clean clothes and the ability to dialogue with others.” In short, be “visible”.
