Caring for the Homeless in Slovenia during COVID'19 Pandemic
Caring for the Homeless in Slovenia during COVID’19 Pandemic
Every evening the members of the Association of St. Vincent de Paul Volunteers, a Branch of the Vincentian Family in Slovenia, in collaboration with the Sisters of Mary of the Miraculous Medal, are serving meals to at least 95 homeless people. This number is steadily increasing. Following strict safety protocols, these members of the Vincentian Family are also able to provide the homeless with facilities for showers, laundry services, or new clothing (that is kept in their warehouse).
The Association of St. Vincent de Paul Volunteers is a part of the Vincentian family and helps the homeless (Day Centers for the homeless in Ljubljana, Resettlement programs, Shelter for the Homeless in Ljubljana, Food distribution in Nova Gorica, etc.).
During the pandemia, Day Centers must be closed. However, every evening at 18:00 hours, from Monday to Friday, we are allowed to provide dinner outside the Day Center. Dinner is taken by at least 95 homeless people and the number is increasing.
The homeless men and women can take showers, leave clothes for laundry, or take new clothes from the warehouse. This service is available under very strict safety conditions (disinfection after each use etc) and individually we are very grateful for the help of the Sisters of Mary of the Miraculous Medal who are preparing dinner every day. This relationship is giving us strong support and strength for further work.
However, we missing our daily contact with homeless and volunteers (they are staying at home, only the employees are working with the homeless). We hope that soon life will return to some form of “normalcy”.
During the pandemic, the resettlement program continues to move forward. The members of this program have been living and working together for more than one month now and it is a joy to see how the participants in this program desire to make a better life for themselves and their family.
You can follow their heroic work on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vincencijevazvezadobrote/
1 Comment
Thanks to you all Vincentians for the hard work. ” United we stand, and divided, we fall”. God bless you all. Keep up with the good work.