Prato is an inclusive city. The network of public institutions and social volunteering, which has always operated in a coordinated way, works successfully to address and solve problems stemming from great poverty, need, lack of housing resources, and reliance on care.
Every year Emporio della Solidarietà (managed by Caritas) distributes 2 million Euros worth of food to about 2000 families, the La Pira Association provides over 60,000 meals and accommodates almost 8000 people a year in its dormitory, Vestiarium of Prato Viva gives clothes and new shoes to people in need, and this year Red Cross started distributing free non-prescription medication and spectacles to people identified by Social Services.
In addition to help in cases of great poverty, there are also different kinds of grants to cover temporary needs of citizens, more specifically: grants to help pay the rent and for the prevention of no-fault arrears, grants for the elderly, grants for minors with disability, and the school package for students.