Jose Abellán Olivares, director of Cáritas Interparroquial Jumilla
With a situation “on the edge”, the director of Cáritas Jumilla points out in this interview that they try to face the most basic needs, but when all this happens “we will have to face loneliness, fear, sadness and pain of a lot of people”
Lola tomás
If the Caritas situation was already complicated a year ago, how would you say it is now in times of a pandemic?
Very difficult, to the limit. It has been a very difficult year in many ways. When this nightmare began in March, all the Cáritas projects in Jumilla were closed, the conciliation center, the solidarity kitchen, the wardrobe, the Spanish classes … Everything had to be paralyzed and the efforts of the volunteers were derived from a task , try to alleviate the needs that were arising as far as possible. With all this, resources are running out sooner.
How has covid 19 affected the management of resources and the attention of those who come to Caritas every day?
It has affected a lot since all the resources of Cáritas, both financial and personal, have had to be mobilized around a task, which is to attend to the most basic needs that arise every day.
Are there many more who demand food, economic, payment of electricity, mortgage, energy poverty, elderly alone?
Yes, there are many more, and at the very least I would tell you that we have doubled the attention in all these aspects: Food care, rents, payment of bills … and all the basic needs, but one thing that we have detected and that I would like to highlight is ” other people’s needs ”.
What do you mean?
Loneliness, fear, uncertainty and concern about the health situation is causing a lot of sadness and pain. They are being very hard months in many aspects and for many people, and that also comes to us, and when this happens we will have as a society, to face this situation where we will have to help each other to overcome losses, fears and uncertainties. Material needs in one way or another can be solved, it is easy, but there are others much deeper where we will all have to do a lot of our part to overcome them. Caritas Jumilla will certainly be there for whatever it takes.
How are resources and volunteers who serve those most in need now optimized?
At Cáritas Jumilla, we have always tried to ensure that the resources we have reach as many people as possible. And that is what we try to do at this time, use resources responsibly and assessing the priority of needs at all times.
Caritas volunteers are the most important asset, they are strength. When the pandemic began, the elderly or those who were at-risk personnel were no longer in the front line. The youngest volunteers were those with extreme responsibility, complying with all sanitary measures and obeying all the recommendations that the Jumilla Local Police indicated to us, who took the reins so that no one was left unattended.
In solidarity Jumilla has always been there when it has been needed. What does Cáritas de Jumilla and its citizens need right now?
The Jumillans have always responded splendidly and quickly when needed. We still need everything to be able to attend to the basics, but at this time you are going to allow me to ask you for responsibility.
In Jumilla we have not been able to reduce infections for a long time, so we are going to be more responsible, more supportive and we are going to stay at home as long as possible, we have to take care of each other, and that’s the way it is, to avoid maximum contacts. I know what it costs, the need we have to be with our families and friends… but this is not the time. It is time to take care and take care of ourselves, to think of all our neighboring families who have suffered and are suffering so much. Let’s show in these moments the great city that we are. Thank you.
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