Welfare. In via Sammartini 126 the new emergency response hub
The space dedicated to the first contact and reception of Ukrainian refugees will become, once the emergency is over, a hub for the homeless - Photo gallery
Milan, November 23 2022 – A new space in Milan that offers numerous social services, ready to take action to provide a rapid response to the various emergencies affecting the city and convertible depending on the fragile people to be helped. It is Hub 126, the new multifunctional emergency center opened in Milan in via Sammartini 126, in spaces of 336 m2 made available to the municipal administration on free loan for use by large stations and managed by the municipal civil protection and Fondazione Progetto Arca.
In this historical moment, Hub 126 becomes first of all the point of reference for the reception of Ukrainian refugees, taking up the legacy of the Mortirolo underpass hub - which has provided assistance to over 17 people since March 7.000th - and giving continuity to all the services made available to Ukrainian citizens arriving in Milan.
Open 7 days a week from 7am to 8pm, the same activities and procedures continue in Hub 30: refugees arrive spontaneously or are intercepted at the Central Station and accompanied through the registration and health screening process. Subsequently, if they express the need for accommodation, they are accompanied - with notification to the Prefecture - to the reception facilities active in the city. While waiting for the transfer, they can take advantage of various hygiene and personal care services (with the availability of showers and personal hygiene kits and clean clothing), the play area for children and hot meals distributed by volunteers.
In a non-emergency phase, Hub 126 becomes a place of connection for homeless people who here have the opportunity to benefit from food and comfort products and to access information on local services. Always supported by specialized operators, people find at Hub 126 a social wardrobe - launched thanks to the collaboration and support of H&M Italia, which took care of setting up the spaces and donating the available items - and a lounge with hairdresser, because the path to re-inclusion can only start from taking care of oneself.
The space was redeveloped thanks to the participation of the Milan Polytechnic in the design phase and the involvement of the Fiera Milano Foundation.
"The intent behind the creation of this hub – declares the councilor for Welfare and Health Lamberto Bertolé – is to organize structural protocols for the management of city emergencies, in order to activate, in case of need, rapid responses and effective. It is no coincidence that this space is located next to the Sammartini Center which acts as a single municipal access hub for all services dedicated to the homeless: the fight against serious marginalization, in fact, is only effective if the policies are the result of a collaboration and constant exchange between the institutions, volunteers and associations that take care of the most vulnerable Milanese every day".
"We are proud – explains Alberto Sinigallia, president of Progetto Arca – to be able to commit our resources and skills to our daily work in this new hub. We are in an area of Milan historically dedicated to fragility, which has seen us and still sees us present in the welcoming both refugees fleeing war and homeless people: different fragilities but equally in need of collective help. Thank you therefore to all the friends and partners who allow us to realize our mission. The first help. Always".
Updated: 23/11/2022