BRESSANONE. A homeless man locked in the elevator shaft of Bressanone station to escape the cold. He is not the only one in the station area: other desperate people seek refuge in the most varied places, even on benches, despite the cold temperatures of this period, which reach up to 8 degrees below zero. Passers-by, people on the move, keep going; someone gets alarmed, doesn’t know what to do, maybe alerts the police, as happened over these Christmas days.
“In Bressanone there are two facilities for the homeless: they are open and accessible to those who need them most” – says Thomas Hellrigl, director of the Social Services of the Valle Isarco District Community. – “Anyone in need or anyone assisting a person in need can contact the Volontarius group info-point on 335 143 8701”.
“As Social Services we were not aware of the emergencies recently reported at the Bressanone station” – continues Hellrigl. – “It may happen that a person hosted in our facilities is removed because they do not follow the rules. In the last period, then, we have noticed several homeless people in Bressanone who refuse to be hosted in a structure: they say they are passing through and prefer to sleep in public transport transit areas to be more independent when traveling from one city to another ”.
“Many of these people do not want to be welcomed into a facility” – explain the operators of Volontarius. – “Living on the streets, it is not easy for them to live with other people. They refuse or give up following the rules of coexistence: there are those who don’t want to wash, those who don’t give up smoking in the room, those who don’t know how to manage themselves or do it in their own way. Some abuse alcohol and this can lead them to be aggressive. When you encounter a person in difficulty, you can ascertain their condition and, afterwards, alert the police, who will contact our switchboards.”