Being a tourist in Italy for the past two and half months, I’ve realized that we are the ultimate consumers. We go to ancient ruins and come away with souvenirs and amazing photographs. But when do we give back? Today, we were lucky enough to get to serve at the local homeless community, Caritas, which translates to charity. Caritas is an international program that “promotes human development and advocates on the causes of poverty and violence.” There are over 40 Caritas in Rome alone! It provides food as well as short and long-term shelter, all for no charge. However, if they choose to stay, they must meet with a social worker in hopes of finding a job. They also are encouraged to take classes to learn a different language, whether it’s Italian or English. The majority of the women and men residing in Caritas are immigrants, so this is a huge opportunity for them. I think it is a great program that gives hope to people that would otherwise have nothing. Getting to interact and talk with some of the people attending Caritas was a very humbling experience and made us all appreciate how blessed we are. Four of us were assigned to do the laundry, and the remaining girls helped with the distribution of food. Getting to experience a different side of Rome definitely opened our eyes to the economic problems that Italy is facing today. We’ve learned in class about these issues, but to experience them was something we will take with us far past our stay in Italy. I look forward to finding a local Caritas at home and being able to help out in the future like we did today.
Ciao, Sarah Donohoe
Helping to tag and distribute laundry
Cleaning up in the kitchen after dinner