Services
Solidarity wardrobe
We can offer refugees who contact us a refreshment area with the possibility of a shower and a change of clothes at our solidarity cloakroom open every day in the Lambrate area. We provide clothing, hygiene kits, sleeping bags, rucksacks to store your few possessions and comfortable shoes to continue your journey. We often offer food because they haven't eaten for days and medical care because their feet arrive with sore feet from too many kilometers traveled with wet or unsuitable shoes, bruises and wounds of various kinds or are suffering from scabies. We offer over-the-counter medicines and medical aids for small dressings. We are looking for accommodation for the night.
In the period May-September 2022 we helped more than 700 refugees, 10% of whom were unaccompanied minors. For 536 of them we were able to find accommodation for one night by relying on dormitories which have agreements with the Municipality and a widespread network of volunteers available to welcome them. Almost all migrants in transit leave for other European countries. On average, only one person out of 200 asks us for help to stop in Italy.
Our wardrobe and our showers are also available for permanent Italian and foreign people, with and without a fixed abode, in a state of serious social hardship
Help on the street
One of oursStreet unitit is present in the Central Station every Tuesday evening from 20 to 23 and helps those who cannot have other shelter by providing food, hot drinks and sleeping bags.
On the other days of the week, volunteers organized in small groups take turns answering the calls, helping the migrants by bringing food, clothes, blankets or sleeping bags.
In a year and a half of activity, around 250 sleeping bags have been distributed.
Aid for integration and social inclusion
Listening to the needs of the most fragile citizens, both foreigners and Italians, to facilitate their social inclusion and integration. Depending on the case, users are directed by us to the competent services. The following collaborations have been in place for this purpose since 2017:
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Medico-legal consultancy: NAGA Association
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Help for social workers and reception: Help Center in via Giambattista Sammartini 120, Milan
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Medical Assistance: Volunteer Doctors Association, at the surgery in via Padova 104 and at the camper in the Central Station.
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Basic and advanced Italian courses: NoWalls Association
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Work start. Contacts with the Fleming job centre, in via Fleming 15, Milan
Meetings in first and second grade schools
The meetings in primary schools aim to inform and sensitize the youngest to the theme of migration: "Who are these people who flee from their countries? Why are they running away? What routes do they travel to get to Europe, what difficulties do they encounter during these very long journeys?”
We dwell in particular on the Balkan route, a route that receives much less attention than the Mediterranean one, but in which unfortunately rejections, aggressions, very serious violations of rights, abandonment in desolate and desolate places occur.
The theme is treated with a power point presentation of about 40 minutes at the end of which we tell the story of some children or families helped by our association.
For secondary schools, the emphasis is also on the numerous violations of migrants' rights by the European Union (Geneva Convention, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Sea, Sar Convention, Right to Seek Asylum, etc.)
Let us also briefly tell what we are doing to help refugees arriving from Ukraine.
Emergency Ukraine
Reception of refugees.
On 26 February, just two days after the outbreak of war, the first telephone calls to ask for help and welcome arrived on Rete Milano. We immediately turned in two directions: the first towards the Welfare Department of the Municipality of Milan, the second towards the parishioners of the parish of San Barnaba del Gratosoglio and Aiutility and Milano Sospesa, two friendly associations._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_ We quickly found temporary shelter for 15 families with families in the area, raised funds to pay for any travel and rental costs. We have also built social sustainability with the schools in the neighbourhood, private and public services relying above all on the generosity of people who have made themselves available to teach Italian, to offer legal, health and psychological advice. After the widespread reception in families, all the families were placed in independent apartments for which we have guaranteed the payment of all expenses until 31 December 2022.
Shipments of basic necessities.
In March 2022, 2 shipments of food, clothing, medicines and other useful material were organized at the border with Ukraine. The first directed to Selemet (Moldavia), the second, made up of a mobile column of 8 campers, to Siret (Romania). To these must be added the participation of Rete Milano "as a financing association" in an expedition organized by the non-profit organization Maisha Marefu.