A festive evening that celebrated the start of the summer season, reporting the results of the last few months, officially inaugurating the Bottega Verde and revealing the name of the winner of the competition combined with the Christmas campaign “Have a laugh!” activated together with Anffas onlus Borgomanero.
Anffas Novara: “Head flowers… celebrating”
On Tuesday 18 June, the Anffas Novara headquarters hosted the “Fiori di testa… in festa” event and gathered members, families, donors, volunteers and many friends of the organization in its spaces.
Fundraising
The evening’s program included, first of all, a report on the spring fundraising campaign entitled “Fiori… di testa”. “We are very proud – commented the director of Anffas onlus of Novara, Laura Lazzarotto – of the results of the campaign based on the diffusion of our seedlings. The numbers have grown; we went from 6 comprehensive schools involved in 2023 to 9, reached 7,500 families, distributed over 2,300 seedlings and collected over 13,000 euros. The data have an important meaning also because they represent the involvement of the community which, more and more, is learning to change its gaze and understand us”.
The “Green Shop” project
The “Fiori… di testa” campaign was created to support the Bottega Verde project; horticultural laboratory which takes place in an inclusive greenhouse, in the garden of the headquarters, which puts participants in a position to test their skills in contact with nature, develop new skills related to manual skills and sensoriality and enjoy a welcoming and stimulating environment.
“Inside the greenhouse – as the educator explained Andrea Mazzone, “people with disabilities work on personal autonomy, in a growth path that makes them protagonists of their own change. The working groups see the participation of volunteers and students from first and second level comprehensive schools, who collaborate with the project”.
“What was once a simple greenhouse – added the President of Anffas onlus of Novara, Sabina Bovio – today it is a special place of hospitality and well-being that was not created to create production but to make people feel good. Here people with disabilities, educators, volunteers, students meet; anyone can benefit from this place of peace.”
A space on which we are working to make it increasingly comfortable thanks to a suitable floor, a heating system that makes it usable even in winter, suitable materials and instruments and accessible paths throughout the surrounding park with benches and small raised vegetable gardens.
The support of the Novarese Community Foundation
La Bottega Verde is a project supported by Fondazione Comunità Novarese which has allocated a contribution of 18,000 euros.
“It’s us – explained the President of Fondazione Comunità Novarese, Prof. Davide Maggi – to thank those who have the ability to make us look at the same things, with different eyes. Each of us has a talent and every day we learn something new; only in this way can we celebrate life in all its forms which acquires true meaning only if we are all together. Each of us, alone, can travel a small part of the way but we all make the journey together. Organizations like Anffas and projects like this help us look at the changing reality with new eyes and face ever-changing challenges. The aim of FCN is to be close, that is, as close as possible to those who work every day for the good of the community”.
Also present at the evening was the Councilor for Social Policies of the Municipality of Novara, Teresa Armienti which underlined the fundamental collaboration between the services.
The Christmas competition: who won
The evening was also the occasion for the delivery of the prize linked to the “Win a relaxing weekend” initiative which began during the Christmas holidays with the insertion of a pre-stamped postcard in each pack of “Ridolini” biscuits (a solidarity gift chosen for 2023) by Anffas Novara and Anffas Borgomanero and continued in the following months until the draw which was held in May.
The prize, a “Relaxing weekend” box set, up for grabs thanks to the generosity of the StopOver Viaggi agency in Novara (via Torelli, 2A) to discover the beauty of our country and one’s own well-being, was delivered by the hands of Sabrina Maccagnan to those of the winner, Fulvia Bernascone.
“We happily chose – commented Sabrina Maccagnan of the StopOver Viaggi agency – to donate the competition prize for the second year because we are convinced that donating is good for us first. Anffas also participated, to our great joy, in the party for our 25th anniversary and the relationship of trust and affection has grown increasingly stronger”.
The winner’s enthusiasm was great: “My friend Claudia gave me a box of Ridolini for Christmas – said Fulvia Bernascone from Novara – and when they called me from Anffas to tell me about the victory I couldn’t believe it; I’ve never won anything before. I haven’t decided on my weekend destination yet but I already know who my travel companion will be; I will go with my daughter to spend a nice time together.”
