The support from Moventia and Tramvía de Barcelona in Sant Joan de Déu directly benefits over 500 people, men and women aged 18 to 65, in the process of regaining their personal independence.
The entities involved believe that mobility is one of the key aspects that are essential in combating social exclusion.
TRAM and Moventia have renewed their support for the project to provide mobility access to the homeless served by the social services of Sant Joan de Déu Serveis Socials – Barcelona. This partnership, which forms part of the actions being taken by the two businesses as socially responsible companies, represents a contribution of 60,000 euros to provide public transport to the people supported by various social service programmes.
Specifically, this help will be directly received by over 500 men and women aged between 18 and 65 who are helped every year by Sant Joan de Déu Serveis Socials – Barcelona through its programmes. The partnership was renewed at an event held at the Casa Orlandai Cultural Association attended by the Vice-Chair of Corporate, Internal and Institutional Communication of Moventia, Silvia Martí; the Chairman of TRAM, Felip Puig; the Managing Director of TRAM, Humberto López Vilalta; the Director of Sant Joan de Déu Serveis Socials – Barcelona, Salvador Maneu; and the Director of Obra Social Sant Joan de Déu, Oriol Bota.
During the event, the representatives from the two companies exchanged ideas with someone who had been helped at the Hort de la Vila residential inclusion centre, benefited directly from the project and now lives independently, as well as a social worker from the centre, allowing them to discuss the importance for the homeless of being able to access public transport in their day-to-day life.
The conversation highlighted that public transport is an essential tool that enables people to engage in daily life, such as studying, working or maintaining a social network, and especially for the homeless needing to access various public resources throughout the city of Barcelona and its metropolitan area. Furthermore, access to transport allows them to enjoy additional activities that directly impact their recovery because they strengthen social and community ties.
Comments were also made at the meeting about the positive impact of the project on employability: in 10 months (January to October 2019), the employment rate rose by 12%, enabling 42% of the people receiving this support to have a job by the end of the programmes. In this period, there has also been a 15% increase in people with a financial income (it should be noted that there was an increase this year in the number of people with a financial income visiting these centres, due to an increase in benefits). In total, 76% of the people who are helped leave with financial resources.
Sant Joan de Déu Serveis Socials – Barcelona, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, seeks to help the homeless recover from their situation through people-focused comprehensive care and accompaniment along their path to regaining complete independence. It is a benchmark service in this sector in Barcelona.
Specifically, the organisation helps over 500 people every year. According to the latest diagnosis report by XAPSLL (Network of Homeless Support Services), this figure represents 14% of all homeless in the city. In turn, Obra Social Sant Joan de Déu seeks social improvement and channels charity action by society towards various charity projects and centres. It also conducts awareness programmes and offers administrative support to other Sant Joan de Déu centres in terms of fundraising.
By signing this partnership deal, which forms part of the actions being undertaken by the two entities as socially responsible companies, TRAM and Moventia are joining forces and aligning values in terms of commitment to society and people, as well as the promotion of sustainable and safe mobility, with the values upheld by Sant Joan de Déu. Hence, they are providing access to mobility for the homeless through an economic contribution that will enable the cost of the transport passes used by these people during the year to be fully funded.
The project, promoted by Sant Joan de Déu Serveis Socials – Barcelona, is aimed at offering free access to the use of public transport in the city of Barcelona and surrounding areas to the homeless being looked after by the various direct support programmes operated by the organisation so they can attend their training, employment or job search activities, medical appointments, regain their network of social and family relationships, engage in socialisation support activities (including leisure and cultural activities) and any other type of procedure or activity coordinated with the social workers of Sant Joan de Déu to help them take back control of their life.
