How it all started
Suret il-Bniedem foundation was formally established 25 years ago, although the Capuchins had been providing shelter to the homeless for a number of years before this date. Fr Leopoldo Tabone OFMCap. was the man behind the whole idea of Suret il-Bniedem.
Fr Leopoldo was a capuchin friar who lived by the Franciscan Capuchin Charism and held very close to heart the young, the poor and the most vulnerable in society, He was described by a local newspaper as, “… a father always eager to extend a helping hand, even at times at great personal sacrifice.” Fr Leopoldo lived through various missions throughout his life but the one closest to heart was his work with inmates at Corradino Correctional Facility. He explained this by saying that he felt that God had graced him with a special charism for the outcast.
It was during this mission, as a chaplain at the Corradino Correctional Facility that he became aware that a substantial number of inmates were ending up homeless once they were released from prison. In fact, some ex-detainees had, during the night, called at his convent in Għajn Dwieli asking for shelter as they had nowhere to go to. Fr Leopoldo was very concerned about this situation and in his words “How can I rest serenely knowing that I have a bed and a roof over my head and there are people who don’t?”
Despite being already in his seventies, Fr Leopoldo decided to do something about this situation, He obtained the use of a house in Fgura, which he named ‘Welcome Home’, and he turned it into a shelter for homeless ex-detainees. By doing so, and therefore giving these individuals dignity, hope and opportunity, Fr Leopoldo ensured that they could build a future for themselves.
During these early years, Fr Leopoldo was assisted by Mr John Portelli, a senior citizen residing in the locality. By 1998, both Fr Leopoldo and Mr Portelli were well advanced in years and needed help. The Provincial of the Maltese Capuchin province, Fr Crispin Tabone OFMCap, approached a group of lay persons to obtain help in order to re-structure the project and make it more sustainable. As a result of this re-structuring, a foundation was set up through a public deed published on the 28th of October 1999 and named Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem.
The foundation had a difficult start, because, a few weeks after its setting up, the house in Fgura had to be returned to the owner and thus the project for the homeless became homeless itself! In view of this, the Augustinian Sisters offered their unused convent in Gzira to be used by the foundation. This move found resistance from the local community until they understood that this homelessness project would not diminish the value of the community but rather add value to it. This new home was named after Fr Leopoldo. Dar Leopoldo has been in operation since the year 2000, and the facility offers its services to 18 males who have been rendered homeless for various reasons.
The Foundation was aware of the fact that homelessness is not only a male problem but affects women as well, and so, in 2002, the second home opened its doors in Valletta to accommodate homeless females and their children. Dar Teresa Spinelli has 15 beds and is named after the founder of the Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary as a sign of appreciation for their support when they offered the property in Gzira. Since its inauguration, this home has offered shelter and security to hundreds of young teenage females, women, and mothers with their children, who find themselves homeless.
In 2005 the migration issue took Malta by storm and the wave of migrants landing in Malta created big pressures on the basic services being offered at the time. Public services needed organisations that were able to respond fast and adequately to this problem. Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem was approached to run the first open centre in Marsa. The challenges were enormous as the number of residents in this facility grew to a staggering 1000 in a few weeks. This contribution of Suret il-Bniedem was an important milestone in the history of immigration in Malta, however, it inevitably slowed down the development of the foundation in other areas. For this reason, in 2010 the migrants project was transferred to another organisation which was set up specifically to run the open centre in Marsa. By now this project was a growing concern and, therefore, the new organisation could build on the work that had been accomplished in the previous 5 years.
During this time the attitude towards people with mental health issues had started to change and society was increasingly becoming conscious that psychiatric conditions are like any other illness that can affect anyone of us, and that people suffering from mental health difficulties needed compassion and support rather than isolation. The public policy strategy of having services in the community was catching ground and the idea of having community homes for people suffering from psychiatric conditions was being floated. Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem responded pro-actively. It read the signs of the times, committed itself to contribute, and the first contract was signed with Mt Carmel Hospital to move a group of male patients from the hospital to the community. The Foundation procured a house in Albertown which, incidentally, had also been a convent, and the facility became active in 2006 offering 13 beds. Social workers and care workers were employed and a new chapter in the history of the Foundation commenced. The experience proved so successful that the Foundation procured a second house in Albertown to offer more beds to males with mental health difficulties and enable them to live in the community. With funding from the Malta Community Chest Fund, Dar Franġisk became active in December 2013, offering 5 new beds. The first resident was admitted in January 2014.
The success achieved by Dar Victoria and Dar Franġisk to reintegrate clients back into society led the Foundation to further expansion with another facility opening in 2018. Dar Imelda u Paul Debono in Birkirkara has been donated to the Foundation by Mrs Imelda & Mr Paul Debono and it houses 14 females coming from the mental health sector.
Suret il-Bniedem Foundation believes that a holistic approach to work with residents leads to the best results, and therefore a multi-disciplinary team made up of psychology graduates, social workers, health and social care management graduates and care workers has been built along the years. The Foundation also believes in the importance of continuous education and support for its employees, enabling them to pursue higher levels of education in specialised areas.
The mission of Suret il-Bniedem Foundation is: To effectively bring about changes in the lives of homeless persons, thus enabling them to be reintegrated back into society.