For almost a year our social life (and not only) has changed. The pandemic has wiped out many of our habits and forced us to behave that they could not even imagine in these same days of 2020. The COVID-19 it forced us to painful renunciations: the continuous lockdowns prevented us from socializing; the masks deprived us of enjoying people's smiles; the distancing, even with non-cohabiting relatives, denied us even the possibility of Hugs.

All this has been and will still be essential to safeguard our life and that of others, we know: a common sacrifice for the common good. But if this sense of solidarity it makes us stronger in enduring the necessary restrictions, the fact remains that after such a long time we are all very tried and tired.

Solidarity and Hugs: the words that make the difference

But if we citizens are, understandably, tired, so to speak, civilians, we can only imagine the tiredness of health workers, subjected to work and emotional pressure unprecedented in the recent history of our country. Yet they are always there, at the forefront, in curing and now, finally, also in vaccinating.
So: let's help those who help us! Hence the idea of Mulino Bianco, well-known brand of Barilla Group, to support the campaign #WeWithNurses of FNOPI (National Federation of Nursing Professions Orders) which represents over 450 thousand nurses in Italy. It is a Solidarity Fund to assist the families of nurses who have lost their lives to help us overcome the Covid-19 emergency, or to support those who, in dealing with the pandemic, have become ill or have suffered severe physical and emotional stress.

Mulino Bianco symbolically links its support for the FNOPI campaign to its own Hugs, shortbread biscuits born in 1987 (the same year in which the "Day of Hugs" began to be celebrated). Since January, to support this initiative, the biscuits have been on the shelves in packs of 350 and 700 grams dressed in a special, recognizable package with the inscription: These Hugs are for them. The proceeds of Barilla from the sale of each special pack of Abbracci will be donated to the FNOPI solidarity fund, up to € 2 million.

There are therefore two keywords: the solidarity, over 50 thousand nurses have been infected and 72 deaths have been registered so far; and cookies Hugs, like those full of love that are exchanged in the "embrace rooms" of hospitals and RSAs, where a pair of gloves and a transparent barrier protect and make it possible to see, touch and caress a sick relative.

We have not yet gotten out of the night, of course, but with the arrival of the vaccines we can see the first light of dawn. So: let's help those who help us too!