Summer is a difficult time of the year for those who, as many of the aged people, remain in the cities. 

As an example last year, in the only month of August, the Roman local news has reported many sad cases which have pointed out the problems of loneliness, abandonment, anonymity which characterise more and more life in the city. In Rome you can die, and it may take days or even weeks before somebody notices it.

The apartment buildings get empty, only few shops remain open and they are not always near; even the essential services (hospitals, doctors, assistance services, pharmacies) work at a reduced rate and the number of the staff available is smaller than the usual one. Those who pay the price for this are the weaker, who lose their usual reference points 

This summer we all want to commit ourselves more in order to prevent what, in our opinion, is easily avoidable. The public administration, together with the association of volunteers and of category, have organised a plan for the summer of the elderly, but we believe that the good result of this can be guaranteed with the help of the watchfulness and the attention of all the Romans to increase a public spirit, which expresses itself in the solidarity and the attention to those who are near us. 

While we are presenting the initiatives of the Community of Sant�Egidio devoted to the elderly for the summer, we want to ask the Roman press to support the effort to inform and to make the whole citizenship aware in order to face this emergency