Caritas Westminster recently hosted a team of volunteers from Caritas Lodigiana. The visitors spent time with the team, learning about the work that Caritas Westminster does, as well as in fundraising and partnership projects. The following is an article that was originally written by Rafaella Bianchi in Italian, but has been translated.
Cristina Petrungaro, from Lodi (near Milan) who, together with other young people, has spent the first week of August in London taking part in a “Caritas Lodigiana” proposal “A tutto Mondo”.
‘I had already been to London before, but I could not imagine that Londoners would pay so much attention to others and that there would be so many volunteers in a big city’
A student in economics and finance, Cristina attends Mass in the Parish of Borgo Maddalena. Travelling with her were her sister Silvia, Milena Mazzola from Graffignana and Daniele Dosio from Casalpusterlengo. They were accompanied by a Caritas representative, Luca Servidati.
Cristina adds: "When we visited a charity supporting poor people, it was been great to find out that a famous food company give them food that otherwise would be wasted".
The trip was organised by Servidadi and Chiara Galmozzi of Caritas Lodigiana, who contacted Caritas Westminster in London. The group met with Caritas Director John Coleby, Assistant-Director Andrzej Wdowiak, and development workers Edward de Quay and Phoebe Prendergast, who accompanied them during their visits to Praxis, Notre Dame Refugee Centre, Bakhita House (Caritas Westminster’s house for human trafficking victims), Catholic Worker, Passage and Cardinal Hume Centre.
"Caritas Westminster started three years ago and operates in the Diocese with 215 parishes in the city" explains Servidadi, highlighting some different numbers from those we are used to in Lodi. "Caritas Westminster aims at raising awareness among people, parishes and schools. In addition, there are charities that offer services directly to people in need, such as those who are homeless, and migrants.
There are other organisations and charities who offer services, for example to homeless people and to immigrants: these are mainly linked to Anglican and Methodist Churches, or even independent. There are also Catholic related associations and the French Catholic church. Each association has its own offices and employees working only on fundraising, like we have seen in the headquarters of Caritas Westminster".
What do English people know of what happens in Italy? "Actually, they don't know too much about what happens after migrants land on Lampedusa island. In London there is a huge number of second generation immigrants and most of the illegal immigrants are those who have lost their job. That's why Caritas tries to find jobs for them."
"We wanted to live an ordinary life in London, so we stayed in a flat in the West Kensington area. Milena joined the group directly from the World Youth Day in Krakow. We wanted to find out which are the main problems in other countries and share ours with other Christians living in a world not that far from our own; that's why we chose London", concludes Servidati.
