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ARE MANY USEFUL THINGS AMONG THOSE WHICH ARE THROWN AWAY.
JUST THINK ABOUT IT! In the wealthy world,
even that which is still useful, is often thrown away. Technologies improve, fashions
change, that which is broken does not get repaired.
Once can measure the wealth or the poverty of a society also from the volume of waste it
produces. In fact, in poor nations where resources are scarce, people tend to utilise
everything until it is worn out. In a wealthy society, instead, that which is still
useful, and certainly useful to someone else, is thrown away. Eliminating every object
used becomes a problem, one more cause of environmental pollution. The Community of
Sant'Egidio has found a way to help many persons in difficulty in many nations, making use
also of that which our society discards: outdated or used clothing, second-hand toys,
every type of object.. |
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY
 The lack of food is one of the most dramatic aspects of
poverty. Even in the large, wealthy European cities it is easier and easier to see persons
who dig through trash bins looking for food.
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THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!
 Many persons both in the northern and southern parts of the
world do not have sufficient clothing . For this reason, the Community collects clothing:
clothes in good condition, suited to the situation, to the climate.
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THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ILL
 Health care is expensive and people in difficulty who turn to
the clinics of the Community of Sant' Egidio frequently receive not only free medical
check-ups, but also ask for medicine because they do not have the possibility of
purchasing it.
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HELP CHILDREN TO ATTEND SCHOOL
 Going to school-a right. But not all children have that which
is necessary to study. Books, copy books, pens, bookbags, crayons, are the essential
equipment to concretely exercise the right to study.
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LET THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD PLAY
 Rigiocattolo, a used-toy sale, is the name of an initiative
created by the Country of the Rainbow Movement, promoted in various European cities during
the weeks before Christmas.
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A GIFT FOR THOSE WHO WOULD NOT GET ONE
 There is no Christmas without a gift. As in a family on
Christmas day, all those who participate in the dinner that the Community prepares for the
poor in many parts of the world, receive a gift with their own name on it, thought about
and chosen according to their need and desire.
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THE LOFT
This is an example of solidarity that does not throw away anything. The
Loft is a marketplace opened by the Community in the premises attached to the Church of
St. Callistus, in Rome in the Trastevere area, where one may find those objects that you
would expect to find in an attic: old books, furniture and knick knacks, clothing,
records, ethnic objects, odds and ends. Antiques, second-hand modern items, not brand new
but attractive or handy, represent a deposit that nourishes an authentic
"Portobello" in the centre of Rome.
All these things, sometimes useless or unnecessary, that would normally be thrown away,
are cleaned and fixed and easily find amateurs who want to buy them.
That which is earned from the sale is used to support the activities of the Community
among the poor.
The Loft in Rome, in Piazza San Calisto
Opening hours: Saturday 21-23 - Sunday 10.30-12.30 |
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