"Thank you for keeping the soup kitchen open, it’s all closed. Thank you for the glass of water, for the food. Thank you for your friendship" – says José, a man who attends the soup kitchen of the Community of Sant'Egidio in Barcelona.
It is strange not to shake hands, to avoid long conversations, to stagger entrances, to speak at a distance. Yet, every gesture, every smile, every tender word, every help speaks more powerfully than ever. Indeed, the risk of contagion forces us to physically distance ourselves from others, but solidarity unites us and makes us stronger in the face of fear to helps and protect one another.
In the time of coronavirus, the soup kitchen is open, and food distributions on the street continues. It is about fighting hunger and isolation in a completely deserted city, where many services for the poor have been closed. Yet the poor are still there. More people arrive than in the past and all receive food.There is the need to stop and provide help, to explain the hygienic measures to be taken. There is a growing concern over the closure of some facilities.
