Sant'Egidio, a non-profit organization, organizes countless service projects worldwide. The Catholic University of America (CUA) campus in Rome is located within a short seven-minute walk from the Sant'Egidio center, offering students many opportunities to serve the poor and marginalized.
Every Thursday from 7-9 pm, students from the CUA Rome center walk to the kitchen in San Bartolomeo's Church on the Tiber Island to prepare food for the homeless. Then, at 8 pm, they then bring the food to two locations where there is a community of homeless people waiting not only to eat but also to talk, laugh, speak different languages, and discuss important issues with the volunteers. Conversations often continue for long after meals have been finished; the homeless people and volunteers alike look forward to seeing each other again the next week.
The homeless food runs are entirely led by the Italian student volunteers themselves who buy the food and organize its preparation. There is always hot pasta or lasagna, sandwiches with tuna or Philadelphia cheese and ham, fruit, and something to drink. The Thursday after the reception following the blessing of the Rome center, CUA students brought the leftover food from the reception [as seen in the picture above] to the homeless food run, for it was the birthday of one of the homeless people. A lively feast ensued that night in his honor.
The aspect of community is the most important of this service experience. CUA students meet and collaborate with other Italian and American students (from around Rome, John Cabot, and American University) and are each united under the common bond of love for the less fortunate. Going out to the community of homeless people allows for the development of personal relationships with those who one would otherwise not have the pleasure of meeting. Indicative of these relationships is the exchange of email addresses in order to continue previous conversations and enjoy more time together. Additionally, often one comes across his new acquaintances out on the streets of Rome and suddenly finds that Rome has truly become one's second home.
For more information about Sant'Egidio, visit http://www.santegidio.org/.
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