These
are not happy economic times. The global financial crisis has hit Europe’s
second largest economy hard, with many more Italians struggling to stretch
their income to month’s end. Those particularly hit are youth, homemakers, the
elderly, the ill and the retired. Italy’s statistics agency Istat recently
reported that unemployment hit an all-time high of 11.1 percent in October
2012; bread lines are becoming longer each month; and the number of those
seeking free meals at soup kitchens and charity centres such as Caritas
Italiana (charitable division of the Roman Catholic Church; www.caritasitaliana.it) are growing.
Making matters worse, torrential rainfalls in November caused widespread flood
damage across Tuscany and central Italy. This holiday season is a great time to
change your gift-giving tradition and help lighten spirits, especially in
Florence and Tuscany. This year, give the gift of hope by supporting a local
charity. Below are just a few of the many ways you can make a difference to an
individual or family in need.
FOOD BANK FOUNDATION
Established
in 1989, this foundation collects from the food industry, mass retailers and
the catering sector and redistributes food that is still good enough to eat but
has lost its commercial appeal. Through its national network of 21 chapters
(including one in Florence), Italy’s Food Bank distributes surplus food to
8,673 charitable organizations across the country that provide food assistance
to more than 1.7 million poor and marginalized people. In 2011, it recovered
nearly 58,390 tonnes of foods saved from the market and 10,120 tonnes of food
products from the agricultural sector. It operates in large part through the
work of some 1,500 volunteers each day. Those who wish to support the
foundation and its mission may donate food, money and time all year around at
the Florence outpost of the Food Bank in Calenzano (via A. Caponnetto 25; tel.
055/8874051; info@toscana.bancoalimentare.it). During the holiday season, the
Food Bank sells special goods, among them an artisan panettone made by
prisoners at the Padova Corrections Institute, with proceeds going to the Food
Bank (www.idolcidigiotto.it).
More
information is available at www.bancoalimentare.it
RONDA FIORENTINA
The
gift of time is a precious one. Be a volunteer with the Ronda della Carità e
Solidarietà, also known as the Ronda Fiorentina, a secular, nonsectarian,
nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, established in Florence by Paolo Coccheri
on October 27, 1993. Today, there are Ronde Fiorentine in 71 Italian cities and
abroad, in Frankfurt and Vienna. The association in Florence boasts a roster of
more than 100 volunteers who spend every evening from 8:30pm until late at
night offering food and help to the city’s homeless, marginalized and needy.
Groups of 12 to 14 volunteers ‘patrol’ public gardens, porticos, bridges and
railway stations seven nights a week, 365 days a year. The homeless are offered
a bed indoors at the Ronda’s main headquarters at via Assisi 20. Some
volunteers assist prisoners in Solliciano, the Florence prison, both in jail
and once they are released. Ronda Fiorentina expanded its work recently,
distributing food every Tuesday to more than 100 families.
For
more information, see www.paolococcheri.com/ronde.htm;
tel. 055/7876007; rondacarita@gmail.com.
LIBERA
Support
the anti-mafia movement and give food baskets from Libera, an organization
that, among other things, manages confiscated farmland and buildings in
southern Italy that were once in the hands of the mafia. The group has created
jobs for hundreds of local workers and relies on thousands of volunteers from
across Italy, who replant agricultural fields with organic grapes, tomatoes,
chickpeas and other crops. It also makes and sells its own brands of wine,
olive oil and pasta at specialized outposts or stores across Italy. The food
baskets, which are available in three sizes (from 26 to 45 euro) feature a
range of certified traditional foods from Sicily and other regions. There is
also an array of gadgets and a wine box with three vintages to purchase. For
details, see www.ilnataledilibera.it or stop
by the store in Florence, on via Fiesolana 6R (tel. 335/701580303).
For
more information on Libera and its initiatives, see www.libera.it
CENE GALEOTTE
Cene
Galeotte is an annual programme of charity dinners held inside the Volterra
Detention Centre and organized with detainees. Now in its seventh edition, Cene
Galeotte features monthly meals until June 2013 for some 120 people. The meals
are made and served by the prisoners themselves, under the supervision of a
local chef (some with Michelin stars!). Each dinner costs 35 euro per person,
with proceeds going entirely to the support charity projects of the
international nonprofit organization Il Cuore Si Scioglie.
For
details, see www.cenegaleotte.it and www.ilcuoresiscioglie.it
ASSOCIAZIONE TUMORI TOSCANA (ATT)
ATT
operates not only in Florence but in nearby Tuscan cities, such as Prato and
Siena, offering free home care to cancer patients 24 hours a day, every day of
the year. Volunteers also help accompany doctors to patients’ homes, transport
patients to and from appointments and aid with fund-raising activities and
office work. Those interested can volunteer with the association or help
support its activities by purchasing the ATT Christmas Basket, which contains a
selection of traditional Tuscan products, on sale at Unicoop stores in Florence
for 29.90 euro; Unicoop donates 5 euro from each sale to ATT.
For
more information, call 055/2466666; see www.associazionetumoritoscana.it;
or e-mail attfirenze@associazionetumoritoscana.it
FONDAZIONE ITALIANA DI LENITERAPIA (FILE)
Established
in 2002 to raise funds to help cancer and terminally ill patients and their
families in dealing with the last and most difficult stage of life, FILE’s
medical teams in Florence and Prato provide full medical support to these
patients. FILE’s mission has been to support palliative care through a group of
doctors, socio-sanitary operators, physiotherapists, psychologists and
volunteers, whose commitment is to ensure the patients’ right not to suffer
needlessly at the end of their lives. Every Christmas, FILE offers an
artisan-made panettone or pandoro by Corsini, a traditional Tuscan
confectionery firm, with proceeds going to support its activities.
Call
055/2001212, email file@leniterapia.it or see www.leniterapia.it for
details.
COLDIRETTI FOR THE RELIEF EFFORT
Buy
fresh, 0km foods from the agricultural businesses in Tuscany that were damaged
in the November floods and help them get back on their feet. Part of a
nationwide initiative to support farms and food producers in the region, the
national farmers association, Coldiretti, has launched the sale of Solidarity
Baskets for Christmas. The baskets feature such local specialties as Tuscan
extra virgin olive oil IGP, wines from the Maremma and chuncks of Pecorino Toscano
DOP. To order any of the three different sizes of baskets, ranging from 34 to
50 euro (excluding delivery costs), call 06/4682371-503 or e-mail cestisolidali@cpca.it
See
http://tinyurl.com/bwurebw for delivery options and other details.
CONTRIBUTE CASH FOR THE RELIEF EFFORT
Those
interested can make a cash contribution via bank transfer to support the relief
effort for those affected by the severe flooding. Use the special account set
up by the Regione Toscana (Piazza Duomo 10, Florence); IBAN
IT80L0103002818000000434331; bank transfer reference: Emergenza alluvione in Toscana 2012. For more information, call the
hotline at 800/860070.
For other ways to give something
back to the Florence community, see TF 155, ‘How to volunteer in Florence.’
