Sister Clara Medina, of the Salesian Missionaries of Christ the Shepherd, receives the Impactun Christianity and Contemporary Culture award for her work after the DANA in Valencia.

Six months after the hurricane that devastated the Valencian Community, the Impactun Foundation, in partnership with the Master's Degree in Christianity and Contemporary Culture of theMaster's Degree of Navarra of the University of Navarra, has awarded the I Impactun Christianity and Contemporary Culture award to Sister Clara Medina, of the Salesian Missionaries of Christ the Shepherd, for her work in the Raval neighborhood of Algemesí (Valencia), one of the most vulnerable areas of Spain and one of the most affected by the floods. This award seeks to recognize individuals and institutions that integrate Christian values in an exemplary manner and contribute significantly to the dialogue between faith and contemporary culture, as well as to fostering a more just, supportive and transformative society.

With this recognition, they wanted to reward her dedication and leadership since the beginning of the tragedy. Trained in Social work , Sister Clara coordinated a humanitarian financial aid program with more than 600 volunteers from different parts of Spain; she managed the distribution of several tons of food, thousands of liters of water, as well as hygiene products and basic necessities; she established a home care service for numerous elderly people and people with reduced mobility who were left isolated after the catastrophe; and she set up a psychological and spiritual accompaniment service , offering spaces for listening and emotional support. On receiving this recognition, the nun wanted to emphasize the communitarian character of her work: "I don't receipt it as something of my own, but as something built in community. I am only the visible sign of so many people who, in silence, have been one with the suffering.

During the award submission ceremony, held on the campus of the University of Navarra in Madrid, and chaired by Alberto Horcajo, president of the Impactun Foundation, there was also a roundtable on "The hope that was born from the mud: pain and charity", with the participation of the award winner and Dolores López, professor of the Master's Degree in Christianity and Contemporary Culture. It was moderated by Javier Garcia, director of the audiovisual production company Ongaku and of the documentary on the DANA "The young people who parade into the mud".

For Sister Clara, this experience has been a profound lesson of faith in the face of adversity: "In moments of crisis where nothing human fulfills you enough, I have seen how some people have returned to embrace the faith, despite their status of misery. In order to accept God's gift, we have to incarnate the experience of our own poverty, recognizing that we cannot do it alone". Asked about the role of Christianity in contexts of exclusion or emergency, she stressed the need for a committed and sustained presence: "We must avoid 'flashes' that are extinguished in a few days. Social transformation requires continuity, denouncing the causes of injustice, involving everyone in the projects, and keeping hope alive". In his words, "the Gospel not only inspires, but demands courageous, humble and persevering action".

Of all the experiences during the last few months, he is left "with the faces of so many affected people who have reminded me of the importance of giving thanks from the small things; with the volunteers who worked hard to remove mud; with the abundance of donations that multiplied; with the joy of the children who wanted to help at all costs; and with the looks of tenderness and gratitude of so many parents who lined up to receive food".