Solidarity Nights (Noches Solidarias), a group of young volunteers, brings aid to people on the streets during cold winter nights. Every night when thr temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), they go out onto the streets of the metropolitan area of Asunción, offering warmth to the ones that need it at their most vulnerable.
Solidarity Nights: born from committed youth
The project started on a freezing night, nine years ago, with a Facebook post. The idea was born from a moment of empathy, says Jazmín Franco, Solidarity Nights founder and director to The Asunción Times.
“If I am cold inside my house with two blankets and a heater, how must those in the streets feel,” asks Jazmín in a stirring rhetorical reflection. “We often find people in different places, some walking with nowhere to go, others already trying to sleep under plastic sheets or boards.”
Since then, every time the intense temperature becomes too low, volunteers go to the nightly streets of Asunción, and other cities like Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, and San Lorenzo, offering a hand to whoever needs it.
“Every night is different”
The volunteer’s rounds usually start at 10:30 PM, with a pre-planned route, and finish around 2 AM. The reach of round depends on the resources available, the donations, and the number of volunteers an vehicles brought by them.
“Every night is different, not one is the same as the others,” says Jazmín. “The main idea is to bring the help when the person is cold and hungry, when they are barefoot and do not have a coat, when they are covering themselves with a bord or a bag.”
Volunteers always seek to approach every person, usually between 50 and 60 per night, with respect and dignity. They not only look to give them things, but also make them feel seen. “We ask their name, their age, and if they are hungry.”
A homemade meal to warm up the heart
The food they offer is prepared with great care, using quality fresh ingredients. Jazmín describe it as “food that anyone despite their background will enjoy”. The organisation always looks to provide warm food that would not only help with the hunger, but also to warm people up.
“The cocido is always well received, especially because it does not contain caffeine, and it is a traditional Paraguayan drink”
“Everyone is welcome”
Anyone can help. People can donate blankets, clothes (especially winter clothes), cocido, and other kinds of food. There is also the possibility of volunteering, to not only go to the night rounds, but to help by preparing the meals, cutting the blanket´s fabric, designing flyers, planning the routs, among other things.
“Whatever skill you have, you can contribute,” says Jazmín. “People come from all over to help, and everyone is welcome.”
If you want to volunteer or know anyone in need, you can message on Solidarity Nights on WhatsApp (+595 984 136453). You can also follow Solidarity Nights on Instagram.
Read more: Emergency Cold-Weather Shelter Launched On Costanera Norte.
