Come on grandparents!

“Forza nonni!”(“Come on grandparents!”) is a project born after the outbreak of the pandemic. When it suddenly became clear that the older ones had become much more fragile, and – unfortunately – because they were dying. Their life had suddenly become complicated and everything had become more difficult: from collecting medicines to maintaining a minimum of human relationships with their children and grandchildren.

Deep loneliness marked by fear but also by despair. Bersezio Foundation has always supported us in this project. So, we got going and identified the most fragile “over 80s” in Turin, looking into every single situation in a prompt manner. To support our elderly, we have launched an assistance programme that provides three different forms of help for each beneficiary: the delivery of the Thirteenth Salary of Friendship (the € 500 subsidy that every Christmas, since 1976, we have offered to thousands of elderly people); the donation of two bags of shopping a month left safely on the doormat; the assistance of a domestic worker for four hours a month. We also provide a constant telephone presence with moments of sharing and even psychological support if necessary. All ways to say “Come on grandparents: you are not alone!”

With 2021 the number of elderly people assisted in Turin has risen to 75 already in January and the initiative has been extended to all piedmontese provincial capitals. The choice will be made after a verification of each individual situation, in addition to checking the Isee model. All this is made possible partly by the sum of one million euros raised for the Thirteenth friendship and partly by the donations that we expect to receive during 2021.