Pudens Foundation

Pudens, a Roman patrician, was a rich entrepreneur of the 1st century AD, one of the first Roman nobles to convert to Christianity, a faith that was initially strongly felt by the latter as an opportunity for redemption .

The Foundation that bears his name was born as an idea along the Camino de Santiago in July 2019 and then became a fact in October 2020, thanks to Antonella Graziano, now president, and many collaborators. «We felt an irrepressible desire to do something for others, without fully understanding when, what and how to do it. We were born in the middle of the pandemic and the immediate objective was to support the supply of meals in a very difficult moment, when the economic crisis - aggravated by Covid - had started to generate much more poverty".

Every year, in collaboration with the Turin diocesan Caritas, 14,000 meals are distributed to people in difficulty, but the Foundation's activity is not limited to this: thanks to the team made up of a priest, a lawyer, a psychotherapist and other people of good will, needs are analyzed and projects are attempted. One of the latest is called Toomulto and is linked to art. Antonella says: «We are art enthusiasts and collectors; in recent years we have also become passionate about street art which is very communicative and attracts people to important topics. Toomulto is a project intended to raise the necessary funds to provide meals to people in need and was created in collaboration with 13 street artists, resulting in 14 works, which we periodically exhibit in some exhibitions."

Recently Antonella (and her Foundation) was awarded the honor of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for her commitment to ensuring support and livelihood for people and families in difficulty also through opportunities training for young people. Think big, act small, as one of their mottos says: so simple people do small things that together can become big. And the name of a Christian from 2000 years ago can return to give life to many. Today.


Roberto Lerda
NP November 2023