Tinkering with gloves and rakes, patients from the Alda Merini Psychosocial Rehabilitation Day Center dedicated a day to cleaning the beach near the castle of Manfredonia, in the heart of Foggiano. In an environmental volunteering operation organized by Nemo (Nature and Education for New Participatory Models), these individuals collected a variety of waste, from common plastic bottles to abandoned flip-flops.
The initiative, an integral part of the project selected by the social enterprise “Con i Bambini” as part of the Fund to Combat Child Educational Poverty, highlighted the transformative potential of mental health within the community. Michele Grossi, director of the Alda Merini Mental Health Centre, underlined how patients, after completing a psychosocial rehabilitation process, can become active agents of change, thus contributing to sustainability and social inclusiveness.
Vittoria Del Grosso, coordinator of the Day Center of the Psychè Association, highlighted the significant contribution of individuals such as Amelia, Adriano, Marcello and Matteo, who have lived the experience of mental illness and who now, with concrete gestures such as cleaning the beaches , offer a tangible example of environmental and civic responsibility. Their commitment has stimulated greater awareness and respect for the environment, encouraging more active and responsible citizenship.
This day of volunteering not only helped make the beach cleaner, but also demonstrated the value of solidarity and collective commitment in promoting a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.
