From August 2022 to the end of July 2023, Depaul Hrvatska implemented the project “Vincent’s house” – a program of support for poor and socially excluded groups of society, financed from the European Aid Fund for the Most Needy “Alleviation of poverty by providing assistance to the most needy people by distributing food and /or basic material assistance – phase IV”. The provided grants (463,498.51 HRK / 61,516.82 EUR) provided basic hygiene services, product distribution and counseling for 200 poor and socially excluded people, clients of Depaul Croatia services.
Poverty is the term that is most often used for the lack of basic living conditions and is associated with the impossibility of taking care of the hygiene of the premises and personal hygiene. This deprivation particularly affects target groups such as the homeless, addicts and treated addicts, ex-prisoners, veterans, people with mental disabilities, people with disabilities, old people with low material incomes, users of necessary housing in the city of Rijeka, and long-term unemployed people. Depaul Hrvatska has been taking care of meeting the needs of these groups for many years, and a significant qualitative improvement was achieved precisely through the “Vincent’s house” project.
A large percentage of poor and socially excluded people live in conditions that are not adequate for life, and they try to perform hygiene or perform it in spaces that do not meet the hygienic minimum. Given this way of life, the death rate of people who are poor and socially excluded is elevated. Therefore, a significant component, that is, the main activity of this project was the provision of basic products necessary for the survival of people living on the street (sleeping bags, blankets, etc.), as well as for maintaining the personal hygiene of all project participants. In addition, storage areas were additionally arranged and, as accompanying measures, education and counseling for users on the topic of health care, space hygiene and personal hygiene, and health problems related to lifestyle were made possible.
