From November 11th to 13th 2019, the FHA team and Commission gathered in Madrid to discuss the work of the Alliance. They also took the opportunity to better understand the work carried out by the Vincentian Family in Spain and their projects with homeless people.
On November 12th, they met with the different branches of the Family to explain the FHA’s goals and work, such as the 13 Houses Campaign, the Vincentian Mapping and the advocacy work at the UN. The AIC, Daughters of Charity, Congregation of the Mission, SSVP, AAM, VMY and Misevi attended. Among the participants was Sr Rosa Tere Vicedo, Daughter of Charity and FHA volunteer ambassador in Spain.
During the afternoon, the FHA team and Commission members visited two projects carried out by the Daughters of Charity: The Integral Programme St Vincent de Paul Justice and Charity, that offers a soup kitchen and meets the basic needs of individuals and families living on the street. They also visited the flats managed by the Marillac Foundation that the Sisters make available for refugees and homeless people, with all the support they need to rebuild their lives. Finally, they enjoyed a presentation on the 13 Houses project that the Daughters carry out alongside the Society of St Vincent de Paul. They want to expand it to all the branches and several cities across Spain.
The FHA team and Commission members got a great feeling of the priceless work that Vincentians carry out in Spain. This country already hosts two 13 Houses projects, in Madrid and Seville and they hope to see more collaborative projects and new outpourings of solidarity towards the international Vincentian Family.