by InTrieste
In Trieste, volunteers fanned out across supermarkets on Saturday for a citywide food drive organized by Caritas Diocesana di Trieste, now in its 19th year.
The one-day initiative, held April 18, brings together 22 stores as part of a broader “Calendar of Solidarity” campaign. Shoppers are invited to donate staple goods — from canned foods and cooking oil to breakfast items and hygiene products — which will be distributed through parish networks and Caritas services.
Organizers say the drive comes amid a shift in the nature of poverty. Increasingly, those seeking assistance are not unemployed but working individuals whose incomes no longer cover basic expenses.
“Work no longer automatically protects against poverty,” said Father Giovanni La Manna, the group’s director, noting a rise in what he described as “hidden” hardship — people quietly struggling with rent, utilities and medical costs.
While modest in scale for each participant, the donations are intended to provide steady, practical support for families navigating rising living costs and financial instability.
