“If the Third Sector stops, we are in deep trouble! The non-profit world is on its last legs, severely tested by the health emergency in which it has invested all available resources. The government should immediately establish a national fund to support private social players”. Gian Paolo Gualaccini, head of the Third Sector delegation at CNEL, stated this.

“The solidarity networks of the Italian third sector have so far held up, but they are now in great difficulty. The State alone is not enough, it needs the operational contribution of the non-profit world to face the effects of this crisis, of which not all the implications are evident yet - adds Gualaccini - Our organizations are receiving hundreds of thousands of requests for help, especially the elderly and the poor. It is clear to everyone that the current health crisis and the measures adopted to combat the spread of the virus are leading us to an economic and social crisis never seen before. Inequalities increase, unemployment explodes and poverty will reach unprecedented levels in our country. We must prepare today to face the situation that will arise in a few months. We need to give more space and more support to third sector voluntary and association networks".

With 850 thousand direct employees, without considering the related sectors, 350 thousand organizations and over 5 million volunteers, Italy is the country with the most developed social network in Europe. "If the system has withstood the emergency to date, we also owe it to our social networks which, along with health, welfare, food and educational aid, also distribute hope and trust among citizens. The many initiatives put in place in recent weeks, especially, among others, those of Banco Alimentare and Caritas, if adequately supported, can be multiplied in their effectiveness and help the State to contain the devastating social effects of this emergency", concludes Gualaccini.