Organised by the Board of the Father Atanasio Gonelli Charitable Fund, in collaboration with the Italian Network of Melbourne (NOMIT) and supported by media partners Il Globo, La Fiamma and Rete Italia, the day-long fundraiser aims to help the thousands of young Italians on working holiday visas and other temporary visa-holders currently stranded in Australia.

The outstanding generosity of the Italian community shone through on the day.

Individuals, regional clubs, pensioner groups and Com.It.Es. were among the first to donate, followed by some entrepreneurs and businesses involved with the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in Melbourne.

Thanks to these contributions, $105,200 was raised on the day.

The radiothon was supposed to finish at 3:00 pm, but was extended by at least two hours due to the overwhelming response.

Many people were involved on the day, including Fabrizio Venturini from NOMIT, Rete Italia’s Paolo Rajo and Daniele Magarelli, and the unmistakable voice of Riccardo Schirru.

Those who rallied together on the day are to be thanked for their exceptional generosity.

However, many members of the community missed out on the initiative.

Italian Catholic priest Lorenzo Milani once wrote: “The problem of others is always the same as mine. To come out of it alone is avarice, to come out of it together is politics.”

When he said “politics”, the Tuscan priest didn’t mean politics with parliaments and press conferences, but politics in the sense of sharing and solidarity found within the polis, or community.

He knew well that the only way to make it out of a difficult time without leaving anyone behind was through the united effort of an entire community.

If just one person were left behind, it would affect everyone, not only from a moral perspective, but also from a material one.

Unfortunately, it seems this concept isn’t clear to everybody, not even within our own community: while the majority contributed to the fundraiser with great enthusiasm, some sectors of the community ignored the appeal.

The generosity of some entrepreneurs and companies was largely isolated, in a productive sector that could have contributed further to the efforts of certain individuals and associations.

Though the fundraiser was centred on young Italians who have lost their jobs and face serious challenges amid the crisis, it was a missed chance for many who could have helped out.

It is noted not so much for the sake of controversy, but rather because it’s important to reiterate how the wellbeing of everyone is dependent on the social fabric of our community.

In fact, without the community, many Italian and Italo-Australian businesses wouldn’t have been as successful as they are, and without the vitality of young Italians who have arrived in recent years, our cuisine, costumes and traditions wouldn’t have experienced a “revival” which has allowed many businesses to prosper.

Those businesses who failed to contribute on Monday have another chance to help out: by providing employment opportunities for young Italians who have been left jobless and wondering how they will put food on the table.

The hope is that companies will work together with those offering assistance and provide jobs for people within the community who are in need.

Don’t miss this chance as well ... and remember, solidarity within a community is both a matter of the heart and the mind.