A street party with fresh watermelons and ice lollies of many different flavors to celebrate Ferragosto: it happened the other morning in Piazza Duca D’Aosta, in front of the Central Station, where the volunteers of Fondazione Progetto Arca distributed fresh food and basic necessities to about a hundred vulnerable people.
They are lonely people, mostly homeless, who have remained in the city to endure the extreme heat of this period, to whom Progetto Arca has donated watermelons – cut into cubes and packaged in sealed single portions -, ice lollies of various flavors, fresh water and also 100 caps with visors and 100 hygiene kits, containing personal hygiene products and mosquito repellents. “In summer, as in winter – said Alberto Sinigallia, president of Fondazione Progetto Arca – we are present on the streets, strengthening the distribution of goods suitable for the season we are experiencing, to bring a little relief to those who live in fragile conditions and do not have the possibility of sheltering themselves from the scorching heat. Summer means loneliness and isolation for many people who remain in the city and do not have the possibility of moving. Our volunteers are present every evening on the streets to provide initial assistance and above all to offer closeness and a listening ear to those in need”.
In Milan, every evening, from Monday to Saturday, Progetto Arca volunteers are present on the streets, in different areas of the city, with the Street Units and the Mobile Kitchen, to distribute complete meals and basic necessities. In total, there are 720 meals and 250 hygiene kits every week, to which are added every evening during this period also many bottles of fresh water, ice lollies and fresh fruit.