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Short abstract

In this presentation, we will examine the work of a volunteer initiative in the city of Zagreb that provides support to individuals with experiences of homelessness—those who, for various reasons, are currently or have been without a home for an extended period, living in poverty.

Long abstract

In this presentation, we will examine the work of a volunteer initiative in the city of Zagreb that provides support to individuals with experiences of homelessness—those who, for various reasons, are currently or have been without a home for an extended period, living in poverty and unable to survive without the assistance of others, existing at the threshold of subsistence in every sense of the term. The initiative and the work of the volunteers involved are analyzed as an example of vernacular humanitarianism (Brković 2023), explored through the concepts of fragility and vulnerability. These concepts are critically examined, with the argument that fragility is not an inherent characteristic of objects or bodies, but rather a condition that arises from their relational dynamics (Dominguez Rubio 2023). The volunteers are understood as a heterogeneous community, with the interplay between emotional and rational roles in their volunteer work (Pozniak 2020, 2021) identified as a key factor influencing both their engagement and their understanding of the initiative.