Sant’Egidio Community publishes guide for Rome's homeless

Rome, Italy, Jan 11, 2007 / 12:27 pm

It has become a must-have for Rome’s homeless. The Sant’Egidio Community published its latest guidebook for the city’s homeless, which includes a fold-out map and tips on where to eat, sleep, and wash up in the Italian capital. It also contains information on legal and medical assistance.

The Catholic community printed 13,000 copies of the guide’s 17th edition, which it launched Wednesday, reported Reuters. According to Sant' Egidio, there are about 7,000 homeless people in Rome, and the number is rising due to the increase in the cost of living and in the number of poor migrants.

At the book launch, Mario Marazziti, a founding member of the Sant' Egidio movement, said that Rome has about “10 percent of people living in extreme cases of poverty in Italy,” reported Reuters.

The 176-glossy-page guidebook, which its authors have dubbed a "Michelin Guide for the Poor", is titled "Dove" (Where). Other cities in Italy, France, Spain and Austria have duplicated it.

The guide is also being used as a resource for people who are being released from jail and need information on how to get back on their feet.

The Sant’Egidio Community has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize for its charity work and international peace negotiations.