Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Milan, March 26 2020 – “Never alone, if you stay at home” is added to the help services for the over 65s of the Milano Assist network, the initiative promoted by the Energie sociali Jesurum association to support the elderly with animals during the CoViD-19 emergency with free deliveries of basic necessities and pet care products and a free dog sitting service.

“As the municipal administration we are grateful to Energie sociali Jesurum and we give all our support to this important initiative which brings into play the energies of the third sector, the voluntary sector and private actors to help our fellow citizens over 65 who are most in difficulty in managing their companion animals – declare Gabriele Rabaiotti, councilor for social policies and Roberta Guaineri, councilor with responsibility for policies for the protection and defense of animals –. Concrete help to the older people of our community, who are advised to stay at home as much as possible, and to their four-legged life companions, whose well-being is an essential factor in guaranteeing that emotional comfort that is so important in these days difficult."

Thanks to the collaboration with Coop Lombardia, the initiative will bring basic necessities of food to the homes of elderly and elderly people: rice and pasta, preserves, bread, long-life milk, biscuits, tuna, legumes and canned meat. A basket to which products for pets are added, from sand to food, to help citizens take care not only of themselves but also of their animal friends.

The free dog sitting service will be carried out with the support of Dr. Marina Tiberto - veterinary doctor - and the Liberitutti staff, in synergy with Carlo Pirola - behaviorist instructor at the Dog Workshop - and Moisés Gallovotti, dog educator at the Milan dog area association. A network of dog sitters with proven experience - asking in advance for information about the breed, age, presence of microchips, vaccinations, any pathologies and health conditions of the animal - will take care of taking the dogs out at a time when the owners are unable to to do it. The free delivery service - active starting today, Thursday 26 March, from Monday to Friday - is made possible by the activation of a network of volunteers, also thanks to the promotional activity of CSV Milano, the members of the Milan section of the CNGEI, the young people of the Jewish Community of Milan coordinated by Olympia Foà, Youth Councilor of the Jewish Community of Milan and thanks to the synergy with the ARCI Association within the Help us in Milan project which, among other things, also guarantees the paid distribution of hot meals currently planned in Municipality 8. Alongside this initial support is the dog sitting service, which will be activated during the week of March 30, with a first phase in Municipalities 1, 3 and 4.

“Our company, since the beginning of this emergency, wanted to make its resources and skills available to the community - declares Michela Jesurum, founder of the association -. Thanks to the network built with two important private partners, Coop Lombardia and Admenta Italia S.p.A with LloydsFarmacia, we were the first to activate, for example, free home delivery of groceries and medicines for the over 65s, which already started on 2 March. In the wake of this positive experience I have decided to make a further contribution, commissioning at my own expense the creation of a management platform that will allow us to systematically organize the work flow of the volunteers who make the activation of these two new services possible designed for old men and women."

The sustainability of the project aims to be the result of a joint action, in which everyone's contribution converges: public, private, third sector associations and citizens who can make their own contribution through cash donations to be delivered to the volunteers - always in compliance with the required safety regulations and by delivery of the relevant receipt - or on the crowdfunding platform Rete del dono where a fundraiser has been started to be allocated to the initiative, reachable at the address: https://www.retedeldono.it/it/progetti/associazione-energie-sociali-jesurum/mai-solo-se-resta-a-casa

The email address has been activated for any report or information maisolo@jesurumenergiesociali.org with which it aims to offer answers to citizens on the initiative.

For any request relating to the Help us in Milan project promoted by the ARCI Association, the following telephone numbers have been activated: 02 82396262 - 02 82396260.