william-and-the-5-pigs

I am forwarding you, in no particular order, some whatsapp messages among the hundreds that we are receiving in these days of pandemic life. A small sample of a lot of solidarity capable, like the epidemic, of rapid and widespread diffusion.

Good morning Father Simone! My name is William, I am from the city of Holambra. The other day a friend told me what you are doing to give a house, for quarantine, to a thousand homeless people. I think you need a lot of food! I am a pig farmer, if you want I can give you 5 pigs. I don't know how to get them to Sao Paulo, but I'll see if I can prepare the meat and have it transported to Sorocaba. Would you have someone who can pick them up?

Thinking about everything we are experiencing, I decided to anticipate what I would give you at the end of Lent. Every day I put a coin, a banknote in a compass ... Today I put something more to make up for the days that are still missing. Mr. Damião, porter of my building, will pass by the Arsenal before returning home. I have no idea how much there is, sorry if there are too many coins!

Good morning. I am sending you the receipt of our payment: we are about 20 friends, each one contributed what they could.

Hello, I have to tell you something: these days I am a bit sad, but after seeing the photos you are posting of the Arsenal quarantine I have found the strength to continue. Thank you because you are posting on instagram on a "day by day" basis.

Last month I covered the shifts of some colleagues in the hospital and made a little more money. I thought this money would serve you more. Good work and be careful! I sent you some boxes with coloring books and lots of pencils, crayons and markers. For adults it may seem trivial, but the quarantine will be long and I thought it might be a way to entertain guests.

My aunt works as a dressmaker for wedding dresses, but because of the crisis she has stopped. I asked her for help with the Arsenale and she made this model of masks. If you think it's okay, let's put it on a production line. When we have a good amount of it, I'll let you know.

I know an agricultural producer from the city of Ibiuna who has 12 thousand leeks, he sold them to street vendors, but now he doesn't know what to do with them. I thought of having the followers of my restaurant buy them for you, they are just 12 thousand, if everyone pays one, I help the producer, we don't waste food and we make it available to your kitchen. What do you think? ... I'm already doing it anyway.

With people like that, Phase 2 will change the world.

Simone bernardi
Arsenal of Hope
NP may 2020