By Charles Igwe
Pope Francis extended his ongoing mission to help the less fortunate by unveiling two new laundromats for the homeless in the city of Turin, Italy, on November 2.
This initiative has come to fruition through a partnership between international consumer goods leader Procter & Gamble, consumer electronics company Haier Europe, and with the valuable assistance of the Community of Sant’Egidio and Apostolic Almsgiving, the papal office dedicated to charitable endeavors.
The laundromats aim to improve the living conditions of people in dire need by providing them with access to essential personal hygiene services and clothing care, including washing and drying facilities. Riccardo Calvi, Communications Director for Procter & Gamble Italia, emphasized the significance of these new laundries as a means of aiding those experiencing hardship.
The laundromats are strategically located in Turin’s parish of San Giorgio Martire and the La Sosta welcome center in the city center. These facilities are staffed by dedicated Sant’Egidio volunteers and have been equipped with washers, dryers, and detergent generously donated by Haier. In addition to laundry services, there are also hot showers available, while a variety of personal hygiene products, such as shampoos, conditioners, body washes, razors, and shaving creams, will be provided by Procter & Gamble.
All of these services are made available free of charge to the most vulnerable individuals, particularly those without a fixed place of residence.
This isn’t the first charitable project of its kind initiated by Pope Francis in Italy. Back in 2015, the Pope inaugurated a barbershop for the poor, which was run by volunteers and aimed at providing essential grooming services to Rome’s homeless population. This endeavor was followed by the establishment of the first “Pope’s Laundromat” in Rome in 2017, and another in the Ligurian port city of Genoa in 2019.
These initiatives are rooted in Pope Francis’ apostolic letter, Misericordia et Misera, which was published upon the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016. In this letter, Pope Francis emphasizes the role of the Church in identifying new works of mercy and putting them into practice with compassion and enthusiasm.
Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who has overseen the Pope’s charitable initiatives as papal almoner since 2013, underscored the importance of assisting the most vulnerable. He stated, “When we help the poorest and most vulnerable, we are truly Christians, because we are the means of the Gospel. This initiative, which is repeated over time, is a source of joy for me because this is a further possibility of being close to wounded humanity, a way to demonstrate the presence and closeness of God to the last.”
