Introduction to Rete Milano
Rete Milano ODV is a volunteer-based organization based in Milan, founded in 2020 to respond to the needs of migrants in transit through the city. Non-partisan and secular, the association is characterized by a model of concrete solidarity and direct intervention in situations of social emergency.
Through a network of volunteers and collaborations with local organizations, Rete Milano provides essential services such as distribution of basic necessities, access to showers and clothing distribution points, healthcare support, and temporary accommodation. Its aim is to ensure dignity and immediate assistance to people in highly vulnerable conditions, while also raising public awareness about migration dynamics and the challenges of the reception system.
The association’s work is part of a broader context of civic and humanitarian engagement, acting as a key reference point for urban solidarity and support for people in transit crossing Milan.
Interview to vice president Pia Avolio De Martino
Can you describe what you do, how you are organized, and how you experienced your activity during Covid?
During the Covid period, things were very different from today. We did not have an apartment where we could host people, nor had we managed to obtain spaces from the municipality in facilities they manage. We did not even have our current headquarters, so many things were different.
What we did, however, was operate directly in the field. We mostly met people in transit who needed a shower and a change of clean clothes. Rarely were we able to find them a place to sleep for the night. In the case of families with children, we managed in several instances to host them in the annex of a volunteer’s home, where we had also set up our clothing distribution point.
However, we were not structured enough to fully respond to all requests for help. Often these people passed through Milan without wanting to stay, as they aimed to continue their journey, often toward France, passing through Oulx in the Susa Valley, where the Massi Refuge already existed—a well-equipped facility that also provided appropriate clothing, as many were not prepared to cross the mountains, especially with children.
We also had a network of contacts in Ventimiglia, where the situation at the time was less complex than today, so many were able to continue their journey. In case of police checks, we had a document stating that we were operating for Rete Milano, a non-governmental organization. We never had major problems and continued our activities.
What is the situation like today?
Today things have changed a lot and we do much more. We rent an Aler apartment with six beds. In addition, the municipality has recently assigned a shelter to Progetto Arca, with about twenty places for transit migrants as part of the “Lives in Transit” project. We, as Rete Milano, collaborate in reception activities and are among the organizations authorized to register people with the Red Cross and direct them there. They can stay for one, two, or a maximum of three nights.
We also have volunteers, especially young people, who work at Milan Central Station every evening. For this activity we are in a network with Mediterranea and other organizations.
The meeting point between volunteers and transit migrants is near the McDonald’s in the station square. When the president Fausta receives requests—usually through a dedicated phone line—she alerts the volunteers on duty, who go to pick up the people and accompany them if they are unable to get there on their own, where they can receive dinner and a bed. The service number is widely known through word of mouth.
The Aler apartment is instead reserved for minors, who are not accepted in municipal facilities, and for people who need a few extra nights after staying in the municipal shelter. In the absence of space for minors in our apartment, we ask for help from families willing to host them.
Has Covid changed your methods in any lasting way?
I would not say our methods changed directly because of Covid. We changed as an organization. Today we are more structured, we have more volunteers, and we are better able to intercept people at Central Station. But this is due to the growth of the organization, not so much to Covid.
During Covid we were much less structured: we had a small space used as a clothing distribution point and we were not yet formally Rete Milano. The people we met were few, also because there were many restrictions on movement. We could only offer a place for one night.
So I would not speak of a change directly linked to Covid, even though something did change on a psychological and organizational level.
Do you still feel the effects of Covid today, or is it behind you?
It is in the past. Occasionally it comes back to mind when we see someone wearing a mask, but it is something that belongs to the past and no longer concerns us.
Do artificial intelligence and digitalization help you?
Yes, they help us especially in communication. When we need to write projects or newsletters, we use artificial intelligence, like anyone would.
It is also very useful for translation, especially when there are young people who do not speak English and communicate only in their own language: in those cases we use translation tools.
In general, it also helps us network and maintain contact with other organizations. Before it was more difficult; now everything is much easier.
For example, recently we were able to help a Kurdish family in Verona thanks to contact with another local organisation