In the year 2024, the Volunteer Association “La Carità di Santa Luisa OdV ETS” strengthened its commitment to creating, with its Service, a place of peace for the People it welcomes. A small and simple living space where good relationships are nurtured, and trust and hope are breathed. Hope, as Pope Francis tells us, «hope is not naive optimism but a gift of grace amid the realities of life» (Spes Non Confundit, n.24).
The data from this year highlights the increasing demand for services and the appreciation shown by users. The ongoing novelty of situations arises from the diverse individuals we welcome, along with the continual addition and rotation of volunteers who respond to the unique challenges that each person’s life presents.
We are aware that the urgency of the service provided “in the moment” demands increasingly effective and affective efficiency. Additionally, the extreme conditions we encounter require an approach that is tailored to individual needs, as well as the specific characteristics and limitations of the environment.
We nurture interpersonal relationships, as they are crucial for personal growth and the development of supportive environments. Our goal is to inspire both ourselves and those we welcome to regain confidence in their journey of personal and relational growth. We aim to foster hope that it is always possible to rise again, even after the most significant setbacks, enabling us to continue on a path of mutual integration.
We offer concise solutions to help achieve urgent goals while providing a clearer and calmer perspective on the overall situation. We guide and accompany individuals in collaborating with suitable, competent entities tailored to their needs. We strive to be devoted travel companions whom our friends can always turn to for assistance.
Many people learn about our services through the internet, informal or structured LISTENING, GUIDANCE, AND ACCOMPANIMENT conversations. Countless, according to our intent to be a Listening Community:
- with attention and care for interpersonal relationships, observation and proximity to Friends in the awareness of the capacity for change
- with family reconciliation work and resumption of possible institutional care
- with network and network to propose paths of rediscovery of one’s person and the emergence from a graphic unavailability, from irregularity, from extreme precariousness, from inertia
- with referral and entrustment to specialized collaborating entities according to the individuality of the person: health care, addiction management, placement in facilities, housing solutions, training and placement or reintegration into the workforce.
- with assistance in bureaucratic procedures and accompaniment to offices on dates agreed with officials or in emergencies – Registry, Post Office, Police Station, Local Health Authority, etc.
In the year 2024, there were 96 volunteers, 68 of whom were members of the Charity: 39 men and 57 women, aged between 19 and 93 years old, 47 volunteers were between 19 and 54 years old, 29 were between 55 and 64years old, and 20 were over 64 years old. Our Volunteers have offered 14,639 hours of free service.
«How much it’s young hope in God And put all there our trust in Him! » (Saint Vincent de Paul, 1657)
Today, in 2025, we place our trust in the Lord, relying on the strength and inspiration of His Spirit, His ever-welcoming Mercy, and His Providence that never leaves us. Let us embrace the words that Pope Francis has shared for all the volunteers committed to charity.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to you, dear friend. Like Jesus, you have dedicated yourself to serving others without seeking recognition. You have worked tirelessly in the streets and neighborhoods, standing beside the sick, comforting the suffering, supporting prisoners, and caring for both the young and the elderly. Your dedication brings hope to our community. In the midst of poverty and loneliness, your small acts of selfless service help nurture the seeds of a new humanity —a beautiful garden that God has dreamed of and continues to envision for all of us.”
Charity, through its small gestures of free service, continues to be the garden that God has dreamed and continues to dream.
Sister Cristina Conti
Daughter of Charity
