LOOK
INTO
US' EYES
A portrait of those who experience the San Vincenzo Dormitory Association day after day, the eyes of those who, through photographs, tell us their story.
The project developed through individual meetings between photographer Carlo Bianchetti and several guests of the San Vincenzo Dormitory Association. During these meetings, the guests and the photographer had the opportunity to share stories, thoughts, and life plans that, thanks to the association, can now be realized. Carlo visited all the services managed by the Association, from the dormitory in Contrada Sant'Urbano, to the San Vincenzo Houses on Via Carducci, to the social housing apartments scattered throughout the city of Brescia.
It's clear that the type of users accessing services has changed significantly over the years, because homeless people are changing, just as society is changing. While once upon a time, the streets were filled with the so-called "tramps"—somewhat picturesque figures present in more or less every urban neighborhood, with long beards, rumpled clothes, and bundles dragging everywhere—today there are new categories, born of globalization, sometimes victims of the rules of today's society. There are many men, but also many women; there are immigrants from the Balkan and African routes, desperately seeking economic redemption and grappling with the challenges of their cultural marginalization (almost all very young); there are middle-aged Italians, left without work and subsequently homeless, trying to juggle strained family relationships and a search for lost stability; there is an ever-increasing number of elderly people living alone, with health problems and in need of a quiet place to rest; Then there are people with alcohol or drug addictions, torn between the need for detox and the temptation to postpone that moment for another day. Finally, there are those with psychological or psychiatric disorders; alone, abandoned, and unpredictable, they pursue their convictions with determination, almost as if following a logical thread in their madness.
For 125 years, San Vincenzo has always offered hospitality, but today the conditions are dramatically different. Once upon a time, the homeless wanted to live apart from society, so with a hot meal and a place to sleep, they were satisfied and settled. Today, the needs of its residents have changed. They seek guidance to help them navigate the countless bureaucratic red tape and to offer advice on finding a new job or changing their treatment; a trusted friend who isn't on the streets, to whom they can share daily events and incidents; a family member to whom they can confide their secrets; sometimes a "sergeant" to remind them of appointments and commitments, and, in the darkest moments, a shoulder to cry on. Requests have increased dramatically; each person has dozens of needs and requirements. Inevitably, the skills of social workers and educators have also increased, given that simply having food and a bed is no longer enough.
One thing hasn't changed in 125 years: the passion with which the
San Vincenzo Dormitory Association supports the most vulnerable.
