Cooperativa Sociale L'Accoglienza

The Social Cooperative "L'Accoglienza”, situated in Forli, was funded in the march 1995 and aims at pursuing the local community general interest in human promotion and the social integration of citizens by developing a social engagement that brings together Christian values and social justice. In particular, the cooperative organizes educational, socio-rehabilitative and hosting activities addressed to young people and disabled people. It aims at characterizing its activities in these sectors thanks to some crucial choices: - establishing a strong link with the local community; - giving value to the human and economic resources available; - promoting volunteer work and its values; - making people aware of social inclusion and solidarity issues. The cooperative manages an afternoon Educational Centre, called “Villa Gesuita”, addressed to about 90 children from 6 to 15 years old, among whom there are some second-generation immigrants and some children in a situation with fewer economical opportunities, and to whom the centre offers the chance to develop training, ludic and workshop activities. The staff of the afternoon centre is composed of a coordinator and 5 educators. Since many years, the centre cooperates closely with the local schools by offering consulting to the families and teachers, individual support of the youth and classroom activities consistent with the teachers. Moreover, the cooperative manages a Youth Centre which operates as a gathering point for young people belonging to the local community (between 15 and 21 years old) and who often have a disadvantaged background. Morover, for teenagers and young people from 15 to 21 years old, L'Accoglienza manages a Youth Center called "La Tana": a multi-functional space, managed in agreement with the Youth Policy of the Municipality of Forlì, in which youth can come to spend free time, develop skills by taking part in artistic, creative, musical and cultural activities, they can find informations, be oriented regarding volunteering or studing or working opportunities. Listening and accompaniment, prevention, advice and information are offered to young people. The center collaborates with other local realities in order to build meaningful social relations within neighborhoods, including through activities that promote a positive image of the young adolescent and as a resource for the community. In the Youth Center are working 2 professional educators and 5 volunteers. As far as the issue of disability is concerned, the cooperative manages two Residential Centres called “Casa Colonica” and "Ca' Rossa" for people with psycho-physical disabilities (for a maximun of 11 people). In each centre there are 6 professional workers, a coordinator and different types of volunteers. The aim is that of allowing the guests to live a normal, although protected, family and working life by giving them the possibility to live in a small community which can be partially selfmanaged. The staff of the centre is composed of a coordinator who is responsible for the planning of the activities, for their internal organization and coordination; the educators who carry out the individual educational projects to foster the integration of the guests in the environmental context and local community; the health workers who deal with the activities concerning the personal autonomy of the guests in their living environment to reduce the risks of social exclusion. L'Accoglienza also manages "Casa Luciana" a flat where young people with disabilities can experience how to be independent from parents (how to cook, how to clean a house, how to take the bus, etc.) through living together with other young people and a professional educator, furthermore in Casa Luciana there are daily workshops in which people with disabilities can partecipate for learning new things. Moreover, the cooperative has inaugurated the innovative project "Terzo Tempo" with the cooperation of the Association "Vecchiazzano Calcio". The