Fundraising by Alma Lukaj

Hello everyone!!! My name is Alma and for the past seven months I have been in Santiago, Chile doing my community service with the Father John XXIII Community. There are several projects in which I am involved but I am here to tell you about the Comedor, the project to which I am most attached. The Comedor is a social soup kitchen located in Peñalolén, one of the poorest comunas in Santiago, which provides a daily soup kitchen service to homeless people, the elderly, poor and marginalized families in economic and social difficulties.

The facility, which was opened in 1997, in addition to providing a response to the primary good, is a tool for monitoring the physical and psychological needs of the users who attend it. This is precisely why we volunteers, in addition to preparing breakfasts and hot meals, find ourselves in social relationships that arise and are created in a natural and authentic way. We use food as a means of communication. We immerse ourselves in their stories and lives trying to share as much time as possible thus establishing a supportive relationship. People who come to the Comedor, find in this facility not only food, toiletries and clothes but also a welcoming, safe and warm place .

It is a place that is frequented throughout the year, but it is the winter season that we are most concerned about. Many of them live on the streets and find in the Comedor a refuge from the cold, the rains and also from the dangers of the streets of Santiago. In recent months these very rains have created serious problems with the roof causing flooding in the structure. This has obviously triggered a malfunction of the structure itself and several difficulties for us in carrying out the various tasks in the kitchen.The winter season is just around the corner, which is why I have personally decided to open the fundraiser thus contributing to the renovation work (total cost of the work €4,000) that must take place before the cold weather arrives.

I am very keen to point out that the Comedor is not just a canteen. For some people it is like a home where they can find refuge and for us it is a pleasure to give support, support and listening by welcoming them without judging. These are some of the values of the Community, the Comedor and Don Oreste who stated that "Man is not his own fault." I hope this can be seen and noticed also from the photos and videos we have taken to introduce you to the people we meet every day.

I would already like to thank all the people who will help and support me in this campaign, it is not only important for me but especially for all those people to whom we can give voice together!