On the occasion of the Day of the Homeless, which will be celebrated on October 30, the Cáritas Diocesana de Asidonia-Jerez today presented a new edition of this campaign, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary. Under the slogan “Out of cover. Don’t leave them out”, the initiative denounces the lack of access to rights and, above all, the lack of social protection from which these people without a dignified home suffer.
Present at the presentation were Juan Pérez, director of Cáritas Diocesana, Mila Díaz, general coordinator of the entity, as well as Silvia Pérez, coordinator of the Cáritas Homeless Program in the diocese and David Barrera, participant of the Day Center “The Savior “.
Juan Pérez began his speech by emphasizing that “in 2022 the incessant effects of the pandemic are compounded by the worsening of the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and which is undoubtedly aggravating vulnerability and exclusion” and added that “despite the explosion of solidarity experienced during the pandemic, alongside it coexist a cold indifference and a daily distance from the suffering of the most vulnerable”.
Pérez insisted on the fact that “we are called to get involved and not to neglect a reality that grows and becomes more worrying every day” and concluded his speech by thanking the Daughters of Charity for their “dedication and availability”, since “We hope to continue working hand in hand for the people who find refuge here to get off the street”.
Mila Díaz went on to elaborate on the motto of this year’s campaign, emphasizing that “we must not let the homeless remain out of coverage, disconnected and disconnected from protection” and added that “current social protection is neither sufficient nor adequate to protect the most vulnerable people”. For this, he pointed to some figures from the Report on Exclusion and Social Development in Andalusia which highlight that housing exclusion affects 19.3% of households in Andalusia in 2021.
In his speech, Díaz said that “a change in the system is needed, we cannot continue advancing in a model of society of consumption and waste that has not worked and has left thousands of people on the peripheries and on the margins”. He also added that “we want to build a society in which people participate and are at the center of every policy, of every measure, especially the most excluded people”.
290 people participated with 96,600 euros in the Diocese
The diocesan Caritas of Asidonia-Jerez accompanied during the past year 288 homeless and homeless peopleand in particular, through the resource of the Day Center “El Salvador” complete and continuous assistance was provided to 66 people. As regards the profile of the participants, it is observed that the majority are men (88%), aged 18 to 25 (42%), single (80%), with primary education (79%) and foreign, 62%, compared to 48% of Spaniards.
Currently, in addition to this daytime resource for the homeless, Cáritas Diocesana is making an important commitment to offer decent housing to the participants in this project through 3 autonomous houses so that people can initiate a process of change in their lives.
In addition to the intervention through this resource, Cáritas Diocesana has 29 housing places for the homeless and, during the past year, there have been answers to 222 people who asked for help directly related to housing (rentals, supplies…) through the parish Caritas. The responses offered in terms of housing and supplies represent 16% of the total investment that the entity performed during the past year, which represented a total of 96,664 euros in the accompaniment of this group.
After taking stock, Silvia Pérez insisted on the importance of health protection, especially in the light of the data provided by the FOESSA report from Andalusia, which indicates that the rate of social exclusion among people diagnosed with a disease or disorder mental is 34% . Likewise, it has influenced the urgency of social protection, since “the lack of coordination between the various public administrations, the excess of required documentation or the digital divide make it practically impossible to independently access rights such as the minimum Subsistence or Dependence Law”. Finally, you concluded by underlining that “they need the political class and the administrations to commit themselves to facilitating the processes that are connected with the life of the homeless”.
David, the voice of the homeless
Day Center participant David Barrera closed this presentation with his life testimony. At 41, father of 5 children and after having left behind an addiction problem, his life has changed, because “today I know I’m not alone, I feel supported to achieve my goals. This center is now my home, I have found a family who are teaching me to walk”.
In his speech, and referring to the campaign slogan, “Out of Cover,” David explained the lack of connection he has with public services, social relationships, physical and mental health, even his own dignity. “I tell you that most people who are like this have a big heart that doesn’t fit in the chest. The life circumstances we’ve had to live through are what lead us to see each other out of cover.”
