Home means security

A bench in front of a Ministry building, one of the many that dot the center of Rome, this was Mario’s “home”.

His face was deeply marked and the air was suffering. He had always worked in the tourism sector and, after a life of sacrifice, had started his own business. He tried to make the leap counting on his long professional experience and some hard-earned savings. However, things did not go well, the start of the commercial activity was tiring and then Covid totally collapsed the business. He was left without work and with several debts on his shoulders.

As soon as the lockdown ended, Mario immediately started looking for a job but the market conditions had worsened so in a short time he ended up living on the street. Thanks to the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Housing First Rome project, Mario now lives in an apartment, no longer suffers from the hardships of the road, has found his lost serenity and looks to the future with renewed confidence. He is a nice man, with good-natured ways. He is extraordinarily grateful for the help he has received and is trying to get back in the game from every angle.

The security of a home in which to live is the fundamental basis for looking back to the future with confidence.