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"Non siete soli": the initiative to support elderly people

Thanks to the donation of food parcels, this project, carried out in association with Comunità di Sant’Egidio, Fondazione Campagna Amica and Coldiretti, supports older people that have been affected by the covid crisis.

A small, tangible gesture of help and support

The “Non siete soli” - project promoted by Eni Foundation in partnership with the Comunità di Sant’Egidio ACAP non-profit organization, Fondazione Campagna Amica and Coldiretti was renewed in 2021, and it involved the delivery of 4600 food parcels to the homes of over-70s in Milan, Rome and Naples who, with no support network to fall back on, experienced situations of extreme difficulty following the pandemic.

Press note |Covid Crisis: return of the “Non siete soli” initiative dedicated to vulnerable older people

Context

The initiative coped with the impact of the economic and social consequences of the pandemic on poverty levels among the elderly. Many older people who were initially able to handle the challenges and expenses connected with the early months of the health emergency, then struggled to pay their household bills and purchase essential food items and products. All of this has left them in situations of extreme hardship and isolation.

Target

The Covid-19 emergency has shown how support and assistance networks are even more important in Italy today for combating the solitude and isolation of the most vulnerable categories of society, such as the elderly. In the cities selected, the estimate count of people over 70s was: 1,091,258 over-70s in the three aforementioned cities: 256,391 in Milan, 138,608 in Naples and as many as 696,259 in Rome. Around 5% of these, over 54,000 people, are on the breadline and in danger of being unable to provide for themselves any longer. Some live in institutions or nursing homes, others live with their families and are dependent on social services. Many pensioners in poverty live in solitude: in particular, 35% of over-70s live alone (or with their spouse) in their own home and have no support network to fall back on. The “Non siete soli” project is focused exactly on them.

Objectives

The initiative had two goals:

to meet the basic needs of people in difficulty with emergency and support measures, delivering 4600 x 12 kg food parcels of various different non-perishable products to ensure that the user is able to eat healthily
to facilitate the creation of support networks for vulnerable and isolated pensioners with actions and gradual processes designed to improve their standard of living by providing them with comprehensive information on existing social services and opportunities.

First initiatives of the “Non siete soli” project in 2020-2021

The “Non siete soli” project began in December 2020 with an initial project aimed at 6700 over-80s in Milan, Naples and Rome. Suffering from poverty and social isolation, these elderly people, resident in their own homes and with no support network, were the recipients of 20,000 food parcels. This Eni Foundation initiative was possible thanks to the expert assistance of NPO Comunità di Sant’Egidio ACAP, together with Fondazione Campagna Amica and Coldiretti. The project lasted five months and involved the delivery of food parcels to homes in three periods: the first distribution on 21 December 2020, the second in February 2021 and the third in the period between March and April 2021. In the three cities chosen for the initiative there are over 380,000 over-80s, 5% of whom live in extreme poverty. A total of 19,000 elderly people in danger of being unable to provide for themselves any longer. Some of these live in institutions or nursing homes while others live at home where they receive the support of social services. However, another part, amounting to 6700 particularly vulnerable people, live in poverty and have no support network to help them: this is where “Non siete soli” comes in. Non-profit organization Comunità di Sant’Egidio ACAP had already identified these people when mapping the target areas during the pandemic emergency, meaning that the project could be launched immediately. In fact, having assisted over 20,000 elderly people resident in the selected cities since 2004, where it carries out specific assistance programmes, the NPO was able to determine the needs of those who have been economically affected by the consequences of the pandemic and define the potential number of beneficiaries who, more specifically, live in suburban neighbourhoods or the most disadvantaged districts: 2000 elderly people in Corvetto and Volta/Sarpi in Milan, 1000 in the Sanità and San Giovanni a Teduccio districts in Naples, 3700 in the large eastern suburbs (Tor Bella Monaca, San Basilio, etc.) and the district-town of Ostia in Rome. The food parcels were delivered to homes by the operators and volunteers of Sant’Egidio who, having assisted these people for years, know them well and have developed a trusting relationship with them. The distributions took place in three different periods, the first of which before Christmas with the others following at 2-month intervals (February 2021-March/April 2021). In these five months 20,000 food parcels were delivered to those in need with each pensioner receiving an average of three parcels. As well as containing various non-perishable food products, each food parcel, weighing around 12 kilos and designed to ensure that recipients are able to follow a healthy diet, was supplemented with individual protective face masks.

Initiatives for children and adolescents

“Non siete soli” continued in 2021 with additional initiatives to help socially disadvantaged children and adolescents with food disorders, providing an emergency response to the economic vulnerability and psychological distress felt within this age group. Carried out in collaboration with Società Italiana di Pediatria (SIP), the Italian Relief Corps of the Order of Malta (CISOM), Fondazione Banco Alimentare and Caritas Ambrosiana, the project involved Italy’s three biggest cities, Milan, Rome and Naples, together with Ravenna, Gela, Taranto and Porto Torres.

Press release | Covid Crisis: The “Non siete soli” initiative continues

The project and the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development

Like the other projects it has carried out across the world, this Eni Foundation initiative is inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. In particular: Goal 1, Zero Poverty (End poverty in all its forms everywhere); Goal 2, Zero Hunger (End hunger, achieve food security).

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"Non siete soli": the initiative to support elderly people

A small, tangible gesture of help and support

Context

Target

Objectives

First initiatives of the “Non siete soli” project in 2020-2021

Initiatives for children and adolescents

The project and the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development

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