During the summer season, the Order of Malta renews its commitment in the field through a series of projects promoted at both international and local levels. From youth inclusion and spiritual renewal initiatives to emergency interventions in crisis scenarios, the Order remains close to the most vulnerable in the different countries where it operates.

A major event for young people will be the International Summer Camp, now in its 41st edition, which takes place from August 3 to 8 at Javier Castle in Spain, welcoming hundreds of young people with disabilities and young volunteers from over 25 countries.

In Spain, in addition to welcoming the international camp, the Order’s Association is organizing the “WOW” (Way On Wheels) initiative in August, a pilgrimage for people with disabilities along the Camino de Santiago: a 110-kilometre experience divided into 7 stages along the Camino Francés. On the emergency front, the Order’s teams were engaged in managing the wildfires in the Madrid region.

In Italy, national summer activities included the inauguration of the 12th edition of the Italian Summer Camp in Magione, Umbria, where over 150 young people with disabilities and volunteers gathered for a week of sharing, inclusive activities, and prayer focused on the theme “How much good there is in the world”.

In France, the Order mobilized with over 44 missions and approximately 23,500 volunteer hours to cope with the severe summer heat waves, assisting homeless people and the most vulnerable with health street units, distribution of water and basic necessities, cooling centres and mobile shower services. Faced with the emergency of the devastating wildfires in Gironde and the Landes, the Order of Malta mobilized 15 Departmental Intervention Units from all over France. In Gironde, teams ensured the evacuation of RSA residents and people with reduced mobility to healthcare facilities, supporting the management of a reception centre for over 5,000 displaced people and offering their Sainte-Fleur Care Centre as a base for volunteers. In the Landes, the Order manages five Extraordinary Reception Centres in total autonomy, guaranteeing over 1000 field beds, psychological support and basic necessities to evacuated citizens.

In Austria, the Order of Malta opened the summer season by participating in the traditional pilgrimage to Altötting in July together with members and the Order’s German Association. From August 13th to 19th, there will also be an excursion from Austria to Tallinn in Estonia, offering a group of people with disabilities a unique experience and the chance to meet the relief corps and local representatives.

In Hungary, the Order’s Charity Service organized the eighth edition of the Spiritual Renewal Summer Camp, which was held in early July near Budapest. For four days, 33 homeless people, [DM1.1] supported by workers and volunteers, shared an experience of community life in nature, focussed on the themes of birth and rebirth, between moments of listening, prayer and spiritual support.

In Romania, the summer camps for people with disabilities promoted by the Order of Malta’s German Association celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. Created to offer moments of participation, dignity and affection to people raised in social isolation, these camps represent a precious opportunity to bond, listen, and share daily prayer. In Georgia, the Association’s youth group will launch the first Georgia Summer Camp in the second half of August. A team of 20 volunteers will welcome 24 guests from local psychiatric care facilities to a centre equipped with art, carpentry and ceramics workshops, as well as vegetable gardens and spaces for an educational farm, offering them an experience of recreation and sharing.

In Poland, the 21st edition of the Order’s summer camp for people with disabilities took place in Szczyrzyc. Organized into four themed weekly sessions, it involved around 70 guests and 100 young volunteers in activities, prayer, and mountain outings. During the warm months, volunteers regularly assist the homeless by providing basic medical care and essential goods. Between July and August, first-aid teams also ensure medical coverage for pilgrimages and major public events. Finally, in Warsaw, the Order launched a soup kitchen open twice a week and a day center offering recreational and social activities for the elderly.

In Lebanon, throughout the summer season, for over 25 years the Order’s Lebanese Association has been organizing, in collaboration with the German Association, the Chabrouh camps, with the aim of promoting coexistence and solidarity, attracting volunteers from all over the world to assist persons with physical and mental disabilities of all religious denominations.

In Singapore, the Order of Malta has launched the Migrant Community Health Post project, offering free medical screening and health consultations to migrant workers with little access to prevention. As a result of the wide participation in the first meetings, the initiative will expand in August to reach an even larger number of beneficiaries.

In Australia, the Order addresses the cold-weather emergency for street dwellers with its Coats for the Homeless campaign, which has already distributed over 50,000 special waterproof and thermal jackets, complemented by hygiene and food kits. Australia’s commitment will be further consolidated with the upcoming opening of Philermos House in Queensland, a new day centre intended to offer meals, washrooms and social support.

In the United States, the Federal Association is active with a wide range of summer humanitarian programmes. These include setting up extreme heat cooling stations and soup kitchens in Florida, monthly food fairs in Houston for hundreds of families, hospice care in Oklahoma, prison ministry in Georgia and support for wounded service members (Wounded Warriors) in Maryland and people with intellectual disabilities in Chicago.

In Mexico, to strengthen food security for vulnerable families in Los Reyes La Paz, the Order of Malta organized a workshop on textured soy, distributing food packages benefiting dozens of families. At Casa Hogar San Juan, elderly residents participated in recreational days and mobility exercises.

Alongside traditional seasonal activities, the Order of Malta’s global engagement remains fully operational in monitoring and responding to ongoing humanitarian crises and international emergencies on various continents, with a sustained focus on the complex situation in Venezuela, where the Order has mobilized to assist populations affected by the devastating earthquake of 24th June.