Asylum seekers had this powerful idea to help earthquake victims

Solidarity gesture from people who "felt welcomed" in Italy.
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A group of asylum seekers who live in a shelter in southern Italy have decided to donate some of their "pocket money" to victims of the devastating earthquake in central Italy.

The coordinator of the shelter in Gioiosa Ionica, Giovanni Maiolo, said the centre's 75 asylum seekers and refugees wanted to make a "small, symbolic gesture of solidarity" to help people displaced by the 6.2-magnitude quake that killed at least 247 people.

The so-called "pocket money" is the daily allowance that each asylum seeker receives for their personal expenses.


You May Also Like

Together, they will donate a total of €187.5 (£160) to the earthquake's response fund.

Maiolo said it is a "small but relevant gesture" from people who felt welcomed in Italy and "want to reciprocate solidarity".

Italy's Civil Protection department confirmed the death toll had reached 247 but the true number of people missing was uncertain given the thousands of holidaymakers in the area. 

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Newly discovered malware 'pranks' its victims – just in time for April Fools' Day
Hacker at laptop

4 ways to use AI to evaluate job applicants
A graphic showing a magnifying glass looking at a resume.

Victim of Jeffrey Epstein files class-action lawsuit against Google
By Jack Dawes
Laws regarding cyber crimes - stock photo

This Roborock at record-low pricing is one of the most powerful robot vacuums under $600
White Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A robot vacuum on gray, orange, and pink backdrop

Meet Claude Mythos: Leaked Anthropic post reveals the powerful upcoming model
Claude by Anthropic on smartphone

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!