CREAM – Since yesterday evening, the refuge Saint Martin has reopened its doors after the summer break and now it may never close again. Operation was guaranteed about twenty days earlier than usual, thanks to an agreement between the Common and the Diocesan Caritaswho manages it. The resumption of service was announced in a press conference by the mayor Fabio Bergamaschiby the Welfare Councilor Anastasie Musumaryby the president of the Social Policies commission Teresa Caso it’s yes Claudio Daghetidirector of Caritas. The latter thanked the six operators and the 15 volunteers of the dormitory staff. “This initiativewhich aims to strengthen support measures for those in fragile conditions – said the mayor – is part of a broader plan of policies aimed at combating social marginalization and promotinginclusion of vulnerable people.”
NEW SERVICES FOR PERSONAL CARE AND HYGIENE
The early opening of the refuge with 18 beds was preceded, at the beginning of September, by other initiatives: «The experimental project – explained the councilor – saw the extension of the personal care and hygiene service, which went from two to five days a week. Thanks to the collaboration with Bessimo cooperativeit is possible to intercept people in difficulty by offering them essential services and creating stable links with the local support network. Now, with the early opening of the shelter, the Municipality is taking a further step forward. The intention is to make night-time reception accessible all year round, previously reserved only for the winter months.”
EXPERIMENT FOR THE ANNUAL OPENING OF THE SHELTER
The experimentation it will serve to evaluate the actual use of the dormitory even in the summer months, in order to understand whether the annual extension could become a structural solution. On an economic level, the project envisages that Caritas will continue to cover the costs for the cold months, while the Municipality will finance the opening during the summer months. The intervention presented yesterday is part of a broader social policy framework that the administration is pursuing.
ANNUAL FUNDING FOR THE RECEPTION SYSTEM
«With funding of 188 thousand euros per year – Musumary specified – Crema can guarantee a widespread reception system that includes different categories of people in difficulty, including the homeless, people with addictions, asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors. Key interventions include the offer of two apartments for housing emergencies, support for 13 people welcomed into the House of charity and the management of a day centrea place of socialization and support for the most vulnerable. Services like mensaopen daily and the center for personal care and hygiene are essential for ‘hooking up’ those in difficulty and inserting them into independence paths. The refuge is one of the main pillars of this system.”
HOUSING FIRST: NINE REDEVELOPED ACCOMMODATIONS
Alongside these measures, the Municipality has started the project Pnrr Housing Firstto be built at the former Misericordia, thanks to which they will be redeveloped nine accommodationsintended to welcome people in poverty, with the aim of guaranteeing the right to housing and promote the autonomy of the most vulnerable subjects.
