Having a home under the stars, is the motto of this year’s Advent humanitarian campaign of Depaul Croatia. The memory of the stars awakens joy, hope, the pursuit of man’s goodness and goodness. However, to have a home only under the stars, outside the shelter, shelter from winter, disasters, dangers – on the other hand means a person’s vulnerability, insecurity. Danger and marginality. Sometimes it’s really anxious to watch the stars!
We called the campaign “My story and my home”. Why? It is the life stories of people who are anxious about the nights under the stars that we share with you, their and our friends, during this campaign. We will also show you the places where we meet them, what their “homes” under the stars are, where the first rays of the sun greet them. Being homeless, we will understand by listening to them, can never and by no means be a person’s choice.
Part of this campaign was the event “One Night Under the Stars” on Saturday, December 11th. The first part of the evening was called “We cook for the homeless.” As you know, the regularity of Haven House is a hot meal, a family table and fellowship. During the “Under the Stars” evening, the regular cooking team at Haven House was replaced by guests who cooked for the homeless: Doris Vlah, the star of many popular culinary shows; Nenad Posavac, virtuoso and top culinary expert (GDCK); and Damjan Miletić, author of numerous cookbooks and enthusiast in gastronomy (GDCK).
The guest of the evening was also Mile Mrvalj, a former homeless person, who spoke about the everyday, nightly reality of homelessness. Today, Mile is an advocate for the homeless and a witness, as well as the founder and leader of an association for helping the homeless called “Fighter”.
The “One Night Under the Stars” event concluded with a tour of the city in teams (street count) and “sleeping out”. This year we were joined by members of the Red Cross Society of Primorje and Gorski Kotar County, young people from the Youth Center of the Archdiocese of Rijeka “Bl. Miroslav Bulešić”, Franciscan novices, the Association of Catholic Scouts of the Archdiocese of Rijeka and volunteers of Depaul Croatia. It was a night of challenges that we entered primarily looking for those who are ours, on the streets of the city. Carrying them a word and a deed of support. But also an act that expresses our solidarity and efforts to eradicate homelessness. That is the vision of Depaul Croatia.
