Julio Ruiz is from Madrid, he is 39 years old and arrived in Zaragoza a few months ago in search of a job opportunity.However, a series of fortuitous circumstances and the shame of telling his family what happened they pushed him to end up living in the street.Today it has practically nothing out of what they are supplied in centers such as San Blas where he has approached this week to prepare for another cold night outdoors.

"Do you want a blanket and a bag?" Asks Manuel Álvarez, one of the foundation's volunteers."No, just one thing, I don't want to abuse, there are people who will also need it," explains Ruiz.A surprising act when you think it is a person who has absolutely nothing.

This situation is usual in the center located in the 24th of Paseo Echegaray, where they offer a consign service to homeless people, and serve around 40 or 50 breakfast and snacks daily dinners."They allow us to leave our things here instead of loading them all day and that is a huge ease for us, such as having a computer classroom or plugs to load the phone, we don't have that street," jokes.And, despite the rawness of his situation, Ruiz does not lose his smile at any time.

Trust, he explains, that his situation will pass soon.Therefore, in the meantime any help is good to "fall on the situation"."The cold in Zaragoza ... I don't want anyone.There is moisture, wind ... is very hard, ”he explains.For a few days the third edition of the ‘Dona your Manta’ initiative was launched, with which they hope to overcome the 500 units of last year.

Ángela Sebastián, Manager of Real Estate Las Torres, was one of the precursors of the campaign."We were paradoxical to dedicate ourselves to the sale of houses and that there were so many homeless people while so many empty floors so we decided to do something to contribute the cause," he says.In the first edition they collected more than 200 blankets, which amounted to 500 last year."This year we hope.

However, not only blankets are needed."Any help is welcome, suitcases, comforters, mats, sleeping bags ... everything that isolates from the cold helps them," he says.The collection is made both in his office, in tenor Flet 18, as in the headquarters of the Foundation, and will last until next February.In addition, the real estate agency has included a special clause in the agreements of the purchase-sells of real estate with their customers, who commit to donate a blanket for each transaction.

With this action, the San Blas Foundation seeks to raise awareness and make visible the situation of the almost 150 people who sleep every day in Zaragozanas streets according to data from the Coordinator of Centers and Services for Hins Hins Zaragoza.A situation that is intensified with the decrease in temperatures and that is primed with this vulnerable group.

To do this, the Foundation has a team of fifty volunteers in the Aragonese capital."For them it is one of the hardest moments of the year and need our support because they have nothing, you just have to put themselves in their place to try to understand it," explains Antón Borraz, president of the San Blas Foundation for homeless people inAragon, who ensures that it is a reality that can touch anyone."Many of our users had a normal life 3 or 4 years ago and that due to a labor or family problem they have ended on the street," he says.

A humble resource with heart

In turn, it ensures that the objective of this entity is not charity, but trying to reinsert these people in the world of work so that they can develop themselves again."Our work moves in three lines, we offer a unique slogan service in the city, assistance and insertion through workshops taught by our volunteers," he lists.In addition, a year they distribute the order of 700 breakfast and snacks thanks to the donation of food from companies such as El Rincón, Martin Martin, Tahona Goyesca, Los Mallorquines or Pasquier Bakery."Surely we are the most humble resource of the city, but we don't lack heart," says Borraz.

"We currently do not have enough aid to carry out this work, we are not yet well known and that makes things very difficult," laments the president, who ensures that the best resource of the Foundation is the volunteer team."We feed them, let's warm them, we offer workshops ... but they really have other deficiencies that we do not reach, our users need to be heard," he says.