Italy is currently the worst affected country in the world from coronavirus – but some residents are still playing their part to ensure those less fortunate can get by during the nationwide lockdown.
From balconies above side streets in the city of Naples, baskets are being lowered containing essentials. These ‘baskets of solidarity’ provide a clever way to give and receive food while following the social distancing regulations that are in force.
With economies around the world taking unprecedented hits from the COVID-19 emergency, many are losing their income and are needing to turn to their community for support.
“We are all in the same boat and we must row in the same direction,” said Angelo Picone from his balcony in the old town. A donor and organiser of the solidarity basket initiative, he said Italians, and particularly Neopolitans (people from Naples), “are reacting in an amazing way” to the crisis.
His initiative is called ‘the suspended basket’, in line with a Neapolitan tradition of leaving a paid ‘suspended coffee’ in bars for those who can’t afford it.
According to research of the FEAD (Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived), more than 500,000 people could soon be in need of food aid in Naples alone.
