As capital city of Piedmont, Italy, Turin is organising its measures in the corona crisis in close cooperation with the regional and national level. The Municipal Operational Centre is constantly in contact with the Crisis Unit of the Piedmont Region. Social services for the elderly are taking care of other people in need now, and a new system for the supply of free food has been created.
The emergency resulting from the spread of the Covid-19 virus has led to the adoption of measures at national, regional and city level aiming to protect the health of the whole community. An exceptional situation that has led the city of Torino to define a solidarity network in support of its citizens.
The system entails the coordination of the resources offered by both the city administration and the local community, so as to activate actions addressed to protect people living in a state of personal, social and economic fragility, often connected to loneliness and lack of family ties.
The Municipal Operational Centre (Coc) supports and is constantly in contact with the Crisis Unit of the Piedmont Region. Through its toll-free number 800444004, the Coc is available to all citizens who cannot leave their houses or have no help in their daily needs.
The City Social Services have broadened the already existing Elderly Help Service also to people with disabilities and in a state of fragility and have enhanced their call center. In partnership with the Senior Citizens Emergency Service association and with the Panel for people in need, a logistics hub for the storage and home delivery of food has been opened. It has also been strengthened the distribution of food and basic necessities coming from ordinary flows of supplies and donations as well as from supplementary food aids provided by the FEAD European Fund.
A dedicated new network for the free supply of food and basic necessities has been created: 13 distribution chains spread throughout the city involving local associations, Neighborhood Houses, cooperatives, the archdiocese and Sermig. The associations engaged will ensure the supply, storage and distribution of food items to voluntary and private social bodies as well as directly to individuals and families.
In addition, the local solidarity network in collaboration with institutions and associations provides for a series of services including sheltering of people in need, collection of food and basic necessities, listening and helplines, specific help addressed to groups of people in need, cultural mediation and other services.
The city of Torino has issued a call looking for the voluntary involvement of employees already working for the administration, to be added to the citizens who have expressed their willingness to cooperate with the administration by submitting their applications. Those who have applied and will apply will become civic volunteers or young volunteers in the frame of the Young for Torino project .
The city will provide volunteers with all the individual protective equipment necessary to perform their activity.
In addition to this network, the city will engage all the local stakeholders (private citizens, businesses and companies) to organize additional services and get basic necessities and what is necessary to help the solidarity network.
Contact: Antonella Detta