Pope Francis tells street papers it’s “always right to give help” to homeless

In a personal message to the street paper network – expressing his solidarity with its journalists, its frontline staff, its volunteers and its vendors – Pope Francis hails the work being done by street papers to help “the vulnerable and invisible” in the testing circumstances created by COVID-19.

The Big Issue took stock of how coronavirus is affecting the world’s homeless community, providing another update on just how severely the spread of the virus is impacting street papers and the people for which they provide an income.

Italy is in nationwide lockdown, effectively quarantining its entire population in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Inside the initial red zone of the northern region of Lombardy sits the city of Milan, where Italian street paper Scarp de’ tenis is based. The magazine’s editor Stefano Lampertico writes vividly of life under lockdown for the publication and the vendors it serves.

With coronavirus cases across the world now at well over 100,000, Italy is in lockdown and the US west coast is bearing the brunt of Covid-19’s appearance in America. INSP spoke again with street paper staff about the effect it is having on their organisations and vendors, with particular attention given to how staff are assisting vendors to stay safe and healthy.

Coronavirus – or Covid-19 – has spread to multiple countries with street paper representatives, including Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Italy. INSP is gathering information about how measures by governments and the medical community, and the reaction of the general public, are affecting street paper vendors in those locations.

What’s been making the front pages of street papers during the past month?

The Big Issue has been reaching out to vendors across the street paper network to get the inside scoop on the cities they know best. This instalment features Scarp de’ tenis vendor Sergio Gatto talking about Naples.

Today we’re bringing you the first set of Finalists in our Impact categories – for Best Project.

Giuseppe has been working as a Scarp de ‘tenis vendor for five years in Naples, Italy. After experiencing a difficult period in his life, which was triggered by the death of his wife, Giuseppe found Scarp de ‘tenis and was able to make a new start. He’s grateful for the financial security that his work gives him and is delighted to have fallen in love again: with music.

This award acknowledges excellence in street paper design – find out who’s made the Top 10.

In collaboration with The Big Issue, vendors from street papers across the world have been sharing some insider tips on the cities they live and work in, which we are sharing during #VendorWeek. Here, Scarp de’ tenis vendor Aldo talks about Milan.

This year we asked vendors: if you could give a song as a present this Christmas, what would you choose? The result was the INSP Vendor Playlist, which is now available for your listening pleasure. Scarp de’ tenis vendor Claudio reminisces about the Italian countryside through his favourite song of all time.

This week, Italian broadcasting network TV2000 will air a four-episode documentary series celebrating the work of Italian street paper Scarp de’ tenis, the lives of its vendors and those who work with homeless people in their daily lives. The show is gaining national interest thanks to the participation of film star Giacomo Poretti, who presents with “irony and a lightness of touch”.

Castrenze has been hit hard by Italy’s financial crisis, more than once in his life. But now settled in a home as a Scarp vendor, things are looking up.

Over the last few years, homeless women have become a familiar sight on the streets of Italy and the problem of homelessness has been steadily increasing among Italy’s female population. As the number of homeless women continues to rise, Scarp explores the reasons behind this and learns more about the unique problems that are faced by women living on the street.

Today we bring you the first Finalists in our Impact categories, for the Best Online Presence from the street paper network.