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The demand for help has increased by 31.71% compared to 2019, the course prior to the pandemic.
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Cáritas Madrid Sur increases investment in almost all programs, making a greater effort in “Employment”, with 56.04% more.
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It is urgent to prepare a protection plan for families, as 78.31% of the people who pass through the 97 Parish Caritas.
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It is consolidated that poverty has a woman’s face.
Cáritas Diocesana de Getafe, the ecclesial organization that works in the 48 municipalities in the south of the Community of Madrid, once again presents its report corresponding to the activity carried out in 2021.
An important exercise, because it serves to assess the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, after 2020, an especially tough year due to the start of this serious emergency that is hitting thousands of families.
Demand for help increases compared to 2019
The results recently published by the INE, These are the first official data on the impact of the social, economic and health crisis in terms of poverty or social exclusion.
Something that Cáritas already advanced in January, in its FOESSA report, and that the three diocesan Cáritas of Madrid extended to the region, with an increase of more than 370,000 people in a situation of social exclusion than before COVID-19.
Some data that are consolidated in the southern area of Madrid, with what was released in the diocesan memory of 2021. Where it can be seen that, in the 97 Parish Cáritas of the Diocese of Getafe, the demand for help has increased by 31.71 % compared to 2019, the course prior to the pandemic. It has gone from attending, in the “Reception and Assistance” program, from 13,225 people in 2019, the year before the pandemic, to 17,419.
In 2021, the help of Cáritas Diocesana de Getafethrough its twelve programs, has reached 57,018 people43.22% more than the beneficiaries of 2019.
Food, the main demand
60% of the aid granted in 2021 through the Parish Caritas was for food and species, for 31% that granted to payments for housing, rent and/or supplies.
Families hardest hit
The profile of the people who have been treated at Cáritas Diocesana de Getafe in 2021 is that of a Spanish woman, with children, who lives with a partner, in a rented house or in a sub-rented room, in which all the members live family together; unemployed and with basic training.
This majority profile of the mother of a family leads Cáritas in the south of Madrid to urge public entities to draw up a support plan for families, since these are being hit the hardest by this social, economic and health crisis.
78.31% of the people who attended in 2021 are families with childrenboth couples and single-parent households.
For this reason, the number of children who are in a situation of vulnerability and social inequality is growing compared to 2019.
The FOESSA report referring to the Community of Madrid reveals very relevant data in this regard: 16% of households fall below the severe poverty line after paying housing expenses; in households with two or more minors, the exclusion rate triples that of households without minors.
Poverty has a female face
Cáritas in the south of the Community of Madrid confirms that Poverty in women has become chronic, since 62% of the people attended through the Parish Caritas, they are women. In addition, 81.20% of the participants in the employment program.
They are the ones who take the step to call one of the 97 Caritas in the Diocese of Getafe in search of help for their families.
Greater investment in basic programs
Cáritas in the south of Madrid has invested €6,996,559.66 in the organization’s twelve social action programs last year.
The ecclesial entity has increased investment in practically all programs, making a greater effort in fundamental matters to alleviate the effects of inequality, poverty and social exclusion of this crisis.
Thus, the funds in the employment program have increased by 56.04%, to alleviate the number of unemployed in the municipalities of the Diocese of Getafe, which had an average of more than 111,000 unemployed people in 2021. Thanks to this investment, more courses could be scheduled and resources increased to meet the great demand for help in this area.
This increase has been possible, in large part, thanks to a greater budget allocation by the European Social Fund with the “Invest in your future” program.
In addition, the technicians of the employment program, through training courses and individualized work itineraries, have achieved a labor insertion of 18.6%.
Also, Cáritas in the south of Madrid, has increased by almost 60,000 euros the funds of the “Reception and Assistance” program7%, which is the main program through which 52,257 people have benefited; and the housing budget has increased by 10.56%.
Donations grow compared to 2019
It should be noted that, in 2021, more donors have consolidated their donation, increasing regular subscriptions by 13.71%. A loyalty that provides stability when facing new challenges and helps to consolidate current programs.
Furthermore, after the large number of donations received in 2020, it has gone down a bit in 2021, but, it has increased by 50.82% compared to 2019. This confirms that this health and social crisis has awakened solidarity in many people.
New initiatives of Cáritas Diocesana de Getafe
Cáritas in the south of Madrid has promoted new projects such as the telephone service program for lonely elderly people “Pick up loneliness”.
During 2021, a group of volunteers was mobilized, which has been trained during the second semester of the year, with the aim of providing them with listening tools, to be able to care for older people who are in this situation. According to the survey carried out to the Parish Caritas, have cared for 172 people over the age of sixty-five in this situation of social exclusion.
Another of the programs that was promoted last year was the so-called “Companies with Heart”. A project that arises from the need to provide the programs we develop with financial support, equipment and actions. Institutions and companies such as Fundación Telefónica, Mindshare, Amazon Getafe, Fundación Alcampo, Ikea Alcorcón, Prenatal or LYMA Getafe, among others, have collaborated in this program.
Filomena, reinvention of attention
Cáritas in 2021, once again, had to reinvent itself during the natural catastrophe of “Philomena”to meet the demand for food from the elderly and without resources, who had been isolated in their homes, even in rural areas.
Even during this emergency, Cáritas Diocesana de Getafe had to claim again before the competent administrations, the isolation of the town of Las Sabinas in Móstolesgiven the lack of access to drinking water and the special situation of vulnerability suffered in those days.
Cáritas Madrid Sur with Ukraine
Despite the fact that the Russian invasion took place in 2022, Cáritas Diocesana de Getafe wants to make a new call for collaboration so that an emergency that continues to require great help is not forgotten.
For this reason, in the survey carried out to the Parish Cáritas, they asked about the attention to ukrainian refugeesand, it has been identified, that of those who have received a request for help from citizens of Ukraine who were living with family or friends, aid has reached 282 people of the country attacked by Russia, in the first months of the conflict.
