Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

700 thousand euros available for third sector organizations for the purchase and distribution of food to families in difficulty. Ripartito Milano helps with shopping, transport and home assistance requests

Milan, November 16 2020 – The guidelines for the publication of a public notice for the creation of a new food aid device have been approved by the Council, which will be based on the provision of contributions, up to 700 thousand euros, in favor of third sector entities active in Milan for the purchase and distribution of foodstuffs to vulnerable sections of the population.

The first food aid device launched last March 16th, and remained operational until June 29th, made it possible to distribute a total of 616 tons of food, equivalent to 1.600.000 meals: over 45.100 parcel deliveries were made, for a weight average of 13 kilos, which reached more than 6.300 families (over 20.700 people) weekly.

The Municipality of Milan intends to continue its commitment to combat the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and in implementation of the Food policy reactivates the food support mechanism that demonstrated its effectiveness last spring, adapting it to the current period and therefore directly strengthening the action by Third Sector bodies which, unlike March, did not have to suspend their activities.

“In recent weeks we have assessed the needs of the city, of families, of single people in this moment of lockdown - comment the deputy mayor with responsibility for Food policy Anna Scavuzzo and the councilor for Social and housing policies Gabriele Rabaiotti - and what the form more effective for reaching the people that this second wave is putting in most difficulty. What we are implementing are not ordinary services and, despite the fact that they involve a considerable effort on the part of the public administration, we considered it right and useful to propose them again. The extraordinary response of March today finds a new method of distribution, capable of responding to new needs and keeping alive the great collaborative work and know-how acquired in relation to the needs and wants that people are expressing".

The public notice is aimed at identifying existing projects at city level, with a view to strengthening existing practices, and the contributions that will be paid must be used for at least 90% for the direct purchase of foodstuffs.

The families benefiting from the purchased food aid will be made up of both families already in the care of the Third Sector body and additional beneficiaries reported by the COC of Civil Protection - Milan helps.

To encourage fair distribution throughout Milan, contributions will be granted to a maximum of 9 subjects equally distributed in the city. The proposals may be presented by associations, bodies and institutions of the Third Sector, even in partnership with each other, which have already been carrying out social activities in various capacities in the city context in favor of the weakest sections of the population for no less than 3 years.

Meanwhile, the activity of Milan helps has restarted, the network of associations, businesses, cooperatives which, under the direction of the Municipality of Milan, have made themselves available to help the elderly, the most fragile people, those in mandatory or fiduciary isolation, in this period of health emergency. 

By calling 020202, the Municipality's contact center (open from Monday to Saturday from 8am to 20pm), you will be able to obtain general information relating to the emergency and timely information on the offers available: in particular, you can request expenses and home medicines, home care, accompaniment and transport for urgent visits and errands. If necessary, when the service is started, it will also be possible to report the need for a free meal which will be distributed through the new Food Aid Device.

Information on the offer available in the city will be gradually implemented: in fact, there are various opportunities made available by private individuals who were already active during the last lockdown and who also made themselves available in this period, while the address milanoaiuta@comune.milano.it, recently reactivated, is gathering new members.

The requests will be managed, in collaboration with the Civil Protection, by the specific offices of the Department of Social Policies in a manner connected to the territory of the nine municipalities in order to guarantee a response to the need as precise as possible, which also includes local services. , the work of local social services, the WeMi network and the activity of social custodians.

For information you can consult the website of the Municipality of Milan on the dedicated page Milan helps https://www.comune.milano.it/web/milanoaiuta.

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