An opportunity to illustrate to His Excellency the activities carried out in the social sector in the territory of the provinces of Lucca, Grosseto and Sassari, in particular in the reception and management of asylum seekers in agreement with the local Prefectures.
Yesterday morning (Saturday 15 June) the Cooperativa Sociale Solidarietà e Sviluppo met the Archbishop of Lucca Monsignor Paolo Giulietti, at the Ristorante da Marina in Casoli, on the occasion of his pastoral visit to the Community of Bagni di Lucca. Also present with him were Don Raffaello Giusti, Parish Priest of Bagni di Lucca, Don Gianfranco Vitali, Parish Priest of Casoli Val di Lima and Daniele Boni di Casoli, former Councilor of the Municipality of Bagni di Lucca.
President Alessandro Ghionzoli began by giving a general overview of the Cooperative: “Our headquarters is located in Via di Lima 68 in Fornoli – has explained – and was recently expanded with the inauguration of the new rooms on the first floor of the building. It has maintained the ISO 9001:2015 certification for the reception and management of asylum seekers and was the best in the entire province of Lucca, in the last Prefecture call, both in the ranking of the Collective Centers and in those of the Single Units Housing. Both the Cooperative and its worker and employee members are in possession of the technical, economic and administrative requirements necessary to carry out their activities”.
Ghionzoli then reviewed the initiatives undertaken in 2023 – from the support of the reception services of the Participation and Development Association in the CAS (Extraordinary Reception Centers) of the provinces of Grosseto and Sassari to the presentation of European and national projects for management of the migratory phenomenon of unaccompanied minors and adults in the province of Lucca – underlining how the Cooperative’s activities also have positive impacts on the territory.
Vice-President Monica Mattei instead reported the experience of the SAI (Integration Reception System) project at the MSNA (Unaccompanied Foreign Minors) Reception Center in Valpiana, managed in agreement with the Municipality of Massa Marittima (GR), and talked about the STAI project (Protection and Listening Information Desk for Immigrants) opened in Grosseto, with funding from the Waldensian Church.
Mattei, as Coordinator of personnel and services, finally presented to Mons. Giulietti the professionalism made available by the Cooperative for the reception project: from professional orientation to health care, social assistance and psychological support; from multicultural activities to training and orientation to the territory and living arrangements; up to linguistic and intercultural mediation, orientation and legal information and teaching of the Italian language. The occasion was also a good one to update the Archbishop on the path undertaken to achieve gender equality in businesses.
Lorenzo Grassi, Collaborator of the Cooperative and Director of the SAI Center of Ponte a Serraglio, finally took stock of the management of the second reception project for immigrants, led by the Municipality of Bagni di Lucca, while Maria Annunziata Bizzarri, who deals with the administration of the Cooperative and is Area Director, she reported the accounting management.
A convivial lunch followed at the restaurant, which was also attended by Alphonse Gbehoundji, operator of the Cooperative, and a family unit from the Ivory Coast – made up of a mother, father and three children – welcomed in Casoli.
