Milano, emergenza povertà. Fra Luca Centro Sant'Antonio: "Aumento delle persone in età lavorativa"

Milan, poverty emergency. Brother Luca of the Sant'Antonio Center: "Increase in working-age people" Massimo's story: "I lost everything, but I found the courage to ask for help" News (Milan). "This year, our center has seen a 4% increase in people coming to us. Specifically, 14% of them are Italians, and an increase in people between the ages of 18 and 30 and 30 and 50, which is working age," explains Brother Luca, the friar in charge of the Sant'Antonio Center of the Friars Minor in Milan. The Sant'Antonio Center assists dozens of people every day, not only homeless people, but also families of all backgrounds. "There is shame and reluctance to turn to centers like ours, but our approach is to do everything we can to restore a certain dignity to our guests," added Brother Luca. The center where it operates is just steps from the Porta Garibaldi skyscrapers, a symbol of a Milan that moves too fast to meet the needs of those most in need: "Milan has greater job mobility than other cities, but these are often short-term or irregular jobs, and in any case, low-skilled workers who don't offer the opportunity to earn a high salary." Among the center's residents is Massimo, a 52-year-old man who, despite a satisfying career, decided to turn to the Sant'Antonio Center about three years ago after losing everything to gambling addiction: "I've always had an excellent job and a lot of professional satisfaction. The first step, realizing you're sick and in need, isn't easy. I can tell others, not as advice, to raise your hand and ask for help, because that's something you'll find even in a city as unique as Milan," Massimo explained. "Milan has changed over the years. When I volunteered, the people were completely different. Now, in the soup kitchen, you find everything: people like me, young foreigners, working people, and families struggling to make ends meet. Here, we're in an area just steps from Gae Aulenti, a symbol of modernity. Just 50 meters away, you'll find a small street with a beautiful church and 100 people queuing every day in need of a meal. These contradictions make Milan a very difficult city," added Massimo. (Roberto Smaldore/alanews) Automatically generated transcript