Each community dedicates one day a year to making Fede e Luce known through special activities or events—cake sales, concerts, theater performances, soccer matches—what we call the GAC, an acronym I've never much liked. I prefer the full name: Giornata di Annuncio e Condivisione—Announcement and Sharing Day. It's how we raise money to support our group, other communities around the world, and the movement itself. This year, as you can imagine, that wasn't possible. We had to give up the fundraising, and with it: no new faces in the community; no funds for a weekend together; no help for families who can't afford summer camp; no money toward our big pilgrimage to Lourdes to celebrate Fede e Luce Italy's fiftieth anniversary.
Then one day, a mother in our community had a bold—even slightly crazy—idea. She asked the school principal and her daughter's support teacher if it might be possible to sell Easter eggs inside the school. For a few years, our community has bought chocolate eggs directly from the factory to sell to friends. But Celine was suggesting we do this for an entire school—three separate buildings, no less. Celine knew the principal well and trusted her openness. I didn't. To my great surprise, Principal Dr. Vitaliano not only embraced the idea but, working with Professor Gaeta, the coordinator of support teachers, sprang into action. She sent an official memo to representatives at all three school buildings—Nitti, Ferrante Aporti, and Mengotti—with a message from Celine introducing Fede e Luce and our San Gaetano community.
I loved the idea, but I was also terrified by the scale of what we'd taken on. There were only two of us running it all. How would we manage? There were moments when I actually prayed that orders wouldn't come in. They did. Together with Professor Gaeta, Celine prepared order sheets for the Nitti building. But I had no contacts in the other two schools—or so I thought—until Vella from the San Roberto community called me. "Hi, I saw a beautiful notice about selling eggs for Fede e Luce," she said. That was the lightbulb moment. "Could you handle distribution at the Mengotti building?" Vella said yes. What a relief.
We started collecting orders, making trips to the chocolate factory, printing labels. But how would we pull this off? Then the schools shut down again. The anxiety hit hard. The plan had been for the students integrated into regular classes to help track orders alongside class representatives and support teachers, and to assist with distribution day. The principal had suggested a Fede e Luce table at an ecology fair scheduled at Nitti. Perfect for introducing ourselves and handing out eggs. But the schools closed. Over 500 eggs ended up in our garages—45 boxes at my house, 17 at Vella's. With only word-of-mouth (we didn't have contact information for the buyers; you know, privacy) and the enormous help of Professor Gaeta, the class representatives, and parents, we distributed them slowly, one by one.
So, no GAC this year. This year: SAC!
S for Settimane—Weeks (not just one day) of preparation and work. Order lists, messages, flyers, chocolate runs, label printing, resisting the urge to taste everything.
A for Annuncio—Announcement. Flyers, written messages, conversations. You name it.
Like the unexpected one from Alessandro, a longtime friend of our community, who wrote to the Mengotti parents: "I want to say that I've known this association well for years. They work with young people with intellectual disabilities. It's not charity—it's simply friendship and community. They create moments together: weekends, vacations, all self-funded. It may sound strange, but from years of direct experience, I can tell you these are unforgettable moments that mark your life for the better, forever."
C for Condivisione—Sharing. We met so many people and heard their stories. Some had heard of Fede e Luce only by rumor; others had been part of a community years ago. One woman, when she came to pick up her eggs, handed me her cell phone number and asked me to call when we could meet in person again. She wants to join us and help. We won't say no.
"When I threw myself into the Easter egg project," Celine says, "I thought people would just see us as another charity asking for support. Easter eggs are tradition anyway—it shouldn't matter where you buy them. A lot of people feel good about themselves without really changing anything. But I was wrong. I was overwhelmed by the energy and by so many expressions of love for Fanny. So many young people wanted to buy eggs out of genuine friendship for my disabled daughter. I used to think vulnerable kids were invisible. Today I can say with my heart full of joy that the students at Nitti have something special. They're an extraordinary example of real inclusion. It gave us parents such an energy boost."
For Vella, it was a chance to tell people she knows about Fede e Luce—and about the importance of her twin sister Flaminia, who has cerebral palsy—in a way she'd never had before. Vincenzo Fiore, a coordinator at the kindergarten, helped her enormously. When he told her he'd been part of Fede e Luce in Sicily, she was moved to tears.
So here's to SAC!