In the early days of Italy’s first lockdown due to the COVID-19 virus, when everybody was instructed to stay home, a group of young men and women from Ostiense gathered at their local hub in southern Rome, and rolled up their sleeves.
With special permission from the president of the municipality of Rome and local parish priests, the boys and girls from the Association of Italian Catholic Scouts and Guides (AGESCI) went to gather whatever food they could find. Pasta, oils, milk, biscuits, tomato sauce, canned meat and fish, as well as other staple products such as baby diapers and homogenized milk – bought at the supermarket or donated by local parishioners – were neatly assembled in parcels and delivered to those struggling under the new circumstances.
They included families whose parents had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and those who had already been struggling with unemployment before the lockdown with no secure way of providing for themselves and their loved ones.
The scouts and guides distributed up to 500 parcels of food per week, going door to door in Rome to Italian and foreign households alike. This way, they provided not just a lifeline but also a sense of dignity for many who could rest assured that their family would not run out of healthy meals.
What’s more, many elderly people, in particular, struggled with loneliness during these months of isolation, and regular visits from young people aged 17 to 21 became something to look forward to.
"For us scouts and guides, being part of the action increased our sense of responsibility,” says Lorenzo, aged 21, who has been a scout since he was 11 years old.
Since then, restrictions have been lifted and life has gone back to a relative sense of normal, but the scouts and guides have not stopped providing weekly support to all those who need it.
“We saw how much it meant to people when we delivered food parcels in person. This was for us, a very strong reason to continue,” said Luca.
