Fr. Jakub Ostrożański RCI
According to the report for 2022-2025, over four years, funds transferred to Roman Caritas increased from 1.44 million euros in 2022 to 1.97 million in 2023, then stabilized at 1.86 million in 2025. In the last four years, over seven million euros have helped combat old and new forms of poverty, including malnutrition, loneliness, lack of access to medical care, and homelessness.
Traditional Coin Toss
The eighteenth-century fountain, built at the initiative of Pope Clement XII, is one of the most recognizable and visited monuments of the Eternal City. Associated with the fountain is the custom, probably dating back to the 19th century, of throwing a coin to guarantee a return to Rome. The decision to donate the money collected in the fountain, made in 2001 by the then mayor Francesco Rutelli, has been maintained regardless of the political affiliations of those governing the Italian capital, and the latest agreement between the city and the Diocesan Vicariate was signed in December 2023.
Fighting Food Poverty as the Foundation of Support
The issue of hunger and malnutrition has remained the main area of aid for years, consuming approximately 30 percent of the funds collected in the fountain between 2022 and 2025. Roman Caritas operates several soup kitchens for the poor (including near the Colosseum, at Termini Station, and in Ostia), where a warm meal can be eaten daily. The average number of meals served in recent years was 317,000 annually.
In addition, the Diocese of Rome coordinates the activities of six solidarity markets, through which essential products reach 1,700 families annually.
The Growing Phenomenon of the Loneliness Crisis
An important social indicator for the four-year reporting period is the increase in allocated funds (from 7% in 2022 to 23% in 2025) to combat the increasingly prevalent dynamics of marginalization and relational fragility.
The true heart of accompanying lonely people are the local Support Centers, whose number has increased from 185 to 247 active centers, providing care to over 12,000 people. An important element of accompanying lonely people is the fight against addictions, especially gambling.
Caritas’ activities in this area include meetings with students to raise awareness about addictions, a special support center for addicts and their families, and consultations on the legal and financial consequences of addictions.
Furthermore, Caritas operates a mobile night service, where volunteers support the homeless on the streets of Rome, and organizes assistance for seniors, both through organized recreation in parishes and home care.
Medical Assistance
20 percent of the money collected in the fountain was allocated in 2025 to activities aimed at guaranteeing the poorest access to medical services. Thanks to a specialized clinic, a dental center, a pharmacy, and a counseling center for victims of torture and PTSD, 3,500 poor people can receive healthcare each year.
In addition, Caritas runs a day care center in Rome, providing free activities for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and three social care homes for AIDS patients requiring constant and personalized care.
Housing Crisis
Each year, approximately 1,600 people find shelter in Caritas-run orphanages, social care homes, hostels, refugee centers, and centers for women who are victims of violence. However, the housing crisis is complex and requires increasingly comprehensive actions.
In 2023, due to the deepening number of evictions and post-pandemic instability, Caritas allocated 25 percent of the money collected in the Trevi Fountain to housing assistance, while in 2024-2025, this figure stabilized at 13-14 percent. Today, the support offered by Roman Caritas includes not only the centers it operates but also financial assistance for those in need, such as paying bills and rent, especially for families facing eviction.
Educational Poverty
By allocating an average of 10 percent of the coins retrieved from the fountain annually to educational projects, Caritas helps overcome the phenomenon of intergenerational inheritance of poverty. An important element of activities in this area are nurseries, which provide care for children without access to public structures, thus offering young mothers entry into the labor market. Supporting the integration of foreigners, Caritas also runs Italian language schools and vocational workshops and courses training specialists in various fields.
