Casa di Gio', a day community for minors and adolescents, was founded in Alta

On Saturday, November 15th, at 10:30 a.m., at Via 2 Giugno 94 in Legnaro, the Germoglio social cooperative will officially inaugurate Casa di Gio', the area's first day care center for minors and adolescents. This educational, welcoming, and inclusive facility is located within the historic Casa del Buon Samaritano building, thanks to the free loan from the Focherini Foundation and the collaboration with the municipal administrations of the ATS Ven 24 "Pratiarcati - Saccisica."

Casa di Gio' represents a double milestone for Germoglio: the launch of an accredited service for minors in vulnerable family situations, referred by municipal social services, and the simultaneous launch of an "open construction site," a shared planning process designed to evolve over time with institutions, schools, third-sector organizations, foundations, the for-profit sector, and the local community. The Day Community is accredited for ten places, but will welcome a larger number of boys and girls and adolescents over the course of the year, offering educational, relational, and social support in a peaceful, safe, and stimulating environment. "We are not inaugurating a finished facility," emphasizes Federica Calzavara, coordinator of the area, "but a project in progress. Casa di Gio' is a laboratory of ideas, a place where we can build together, day after day, new growth opportunities for our young people. It is an invitation to shared responsibility, co-planning, and participation."

"For us, Casa di Gio' is much more than a service," explains Marta Martin, president of Germoglio. "It is a concrete example of a generative welfare system, capable of being born and growing alongside people, institutions, and communities. We wanted to create a vibrant place where education, prevention, hospitality, and participation meet to address the real needs of the new generations." Alongside the opening, Germoglio will launch a fundraiser for the creation of the outdoor sensory garden, the first phase of a broader renovation and redevelopment of the interior spaces. The goal is to build, step by step, a more beautiful, functional, and welcoming place, open to partnerships and donations from those who believe in the value of an educational community. With the inauguration of Casa di Gio', Germoglio is taking a pioneering step: it is the first experience of a Day Educational Community for minors and adolescents in the ATS Ven_24 area, where attention to the vulnerable needs of young people meets a supportive network of institutions and citizens.

It must be said that the name Casa di Gio' conceals a blend of memory and future, a gesture of gratitude that becomes a project. The name is, in fact, a dedication to Giovanni Zambon, president of the Germoglio cooperative from 2015 to 2020, who with his commitment, attention, and vision helped grow a community capable of caring for the little ones. But "Gio'" also means "youth," the affectionate nickname that encompasses the new generations—the boys and girls who will bring this place to life. An open, welcoming home, created for them and with them, where they can grow, learn, and share. A place that looks forward, yet deeply rooted in a history of people and care.

The Germoglio social cooperative, founded in Arzergrande in 1989, is now one of the most established and innovative organizations in the province of Padua. Founded to meet the needs of people with disabilities in the Saccisica area, Germoglio has grown into a multi-member social cooperative (A+B), active on multiple fronts: from socio-educational and housing services for minors and adults with disabilities to employment projects for disadvantaged individuals. It currently has 62 members and 71 employees, ten of whom belong to protected categories, and in 2024, it engaged 33 disadvantaged individuals through hiring and training internships. Germoglio is now established in several locations throughout the area. In Arzergrande, on Via Bassa, are its historic headquarters and the Day Center for adults with disabilities, the Guided Work Center, and the Mustard Cooking Center, where inclusion through work is realized every day. In Piove di Sacco, on Via Castello, the "Tam Tam – La Bottega del Germoglio" solidarity shop operates, dedicated to fair trade and the artisanal production of party favors and stationery items. In Codevigo, the "Vivo Fuori" project offers an apartment for independent living. In Legnaro, the Casa del Buon Samaritano, granted free of charge by the Focherini Foundation, houses Casa di Gio' and the "Primo Piano" housing unit for people with disabilities.

Germoglio stands out for its "Senape – Flavors of Inclusion" project, a catering line that prepares over 3,000 meals a day for schools, businesses, healthcare facilities, and vulnerable individuals. This social enterprise model combines quality, efficiency, and inclusion, providing jobs to people with disabilities or disabilities. Through Article 14 of Legislative Decree 276/2003, Germoglio enables partner companies to fulfill the obligations of Law 68/1999 on the employment of disabled individuals by awarding contracts to the cooperative, thus transforming the regulatory obligation into an opportunity for social collaboration. Over time, Germoglio has expanded its scope beyond disability, becoming a point of reference for minors and families. Since 2012, it has managed the Zerodiciotto educational program, which includes after-school programs, personalized programs, and interventions for adolescents. 2025 marks the beginning of a new chapter with the opening of the Casa di Gio' Day Community in Legnaro, the first service of its kind in the Saccisica area, created thanks to the collaboration with the Focherini Foundation and the ATS 24 administrations. At the same time, Germoglio continues to invest in housing projects for the independence of people with disabilities, such as "CREO," "Vivo Fuori," and "Vita Indipendente," launched thanks to the regional "Dopo di Noi" calls and PNRR funds.

Alongside its social and educational services, the cooperative manages a significant Type B production area, providing assembly, and packaging services for local companies. For over twenty years, it has offered industrial outsourcing services that combine efficiency and social value, demonstrating that cooperatives can be competitive even in the most technical sectors. Over time, it has also developed a line of solidarity products: Christmas hampers and artisanal sweets "La Pasqualotta" and "L'Essenziale," which combine quality and concrete support for job placement projects.