Chiara Tommasini confirmed as head of Volunteer Service Centers

Strengthening the presence in the territories as stable points of reference for volunteering, capable of accompanying its evolution, promoting its skills and supporting its role in society. These are some of the priorities indicated by Chiara Tommasini , confirmed by acclamation as leader of CSVnet , the national association of Volunteer Service Centers (CSV). The elective assembly, which took place in Bologna on June 21, appointed the national board of directors, in office until 2029. The profiles of the new councilors can be consulted on the CSVnet website . In the first session after the assembly, the new board of directors appointed, in addition to the president, also the members of the presidency office: vice president is Salvatore Raffa , president of the Catania CSV together with the deputy vice president Luigi Paccosi , president of the Tuscany CSV; Piero Petrecca of the Molise Volunteer Service Center was confirmed as treasurer.

During the mandate that has just ended, volunteering - and with it the CSV - had to face a scenario marked by increasing social and economic inequalities, the effects of the pandemic, international conflicts and environmental emergencies. In this complex context, the system has strengthened its commitment : with over 300 operational offices, around 3 thousand volunteers involved in governance and almost 700 employees, the CSV have increased services to support volunteers and organizations. In 2024 alone , almost 97 thousand consultations were provided to third sector organizations - especially small or poorly structured ones - on legal, administrative, fiscal and planning aspects. On the training front, the CSV have carried out over 2,300 activities for 56 thousand volunteers , equal to around 17 thousand hours of training activities . In addition to these, there are the promotional actions carried out in schools and in the territories, which have involved more than 129 thousand students .

"This confirmation is a source of gratitude and responsibility for me," said Tommasini. "A new phase begins now that calls us to further strengthen the role of CSV as leaders to promote the culture of volunteering and the development of active participation. Being in the territories today means being close to organizations, associative networks, informal groups, new forms of volunteering, but also building stable relationships with local authorities, schools, social and health facilities, businesses, cultural entities . CSVnet will continue to support this commitment, with strategic vision and concrete tools." "Today, CSV," added the president, "are increasingly called upon to act as connecting entities , capable of facilitating processes, accompanying innovation paths, giving strength to the requests that emerge from communities ."

The meeting was also attended by numerous institutional guests, who brought their greetings and contributions: Irene Priolo , Councilor for the Environment, Territorial Planning, Mobility, and Transport of the Emilia-Romagna Region; Cristina Ceretti , Councilor of the Municipality of Bologna; Luciano Gallo , Anci Emilia-Romagna; Vanessa Pallucchi , Spokesperson for the Third Sector Forum; Massimo Giusti, Secretary General of the Onc Foundation - National Control Body of the CSV and Pierluigi Stefanini, Member of the Onc Foundation and Councilor of Acri. Maria Teresa Bellucci , Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policies, sent a letter of greeting in which she announced the agreement reached at the State-Regions Conference on the inter-ministerial decree for the certification of skills acquired through volunteer work . A measure that has been awaited for eight years, provided for by the Third Sector Reform of 2017, which is now fully implemented thanks to the joint work of the ministries involved.

During the meeting, the strategic framework for the next four years was finally relaunched , which marks an important step compared to the past. After a phase focused on internal consolidation, the action of the CSV will be oriented towards four priority areas: promoting generational turnover and the regeneration of association leadership ; supporting the protagonism of volunteering in the co-programming of welfare policies, with particular attention to health; supporting volunteering in the fight against depopulation of internal areas ; promoting the involvement of volunteering in the development of new models of social economy in the territories.

Chiara Tommasini, from Verona, graduated in Economics and Commerce, is currently an employee of an insurance group. She has been a volunteer in the rescue and civil protection sector since 1997 and president of CSVnet since June 27, 2021. Since October 2020, she has been vice president of the national association Aiuto Bambini Betlemme. She is also currently a member of the Strategic Steering Committee of the social enterprise Con i Bambini and of the Board of Directors of the Onc Foundation. In 2022, she received the honor of Knight of the Order of "Merit of the Italian Republic", assigned by the Head of State on the proposal of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Below are the names of the members of the new Board of Directors that will lead CSVnet until 2029 ( photo below ): Sergio Bonagura, CSV Alto Adige; Giorgio Casagranda, CSV Trentino; Casto di Bonaventura, CSV Abruzzo; Mauro Bornia, CSVnet Liguria (Regional Confederation); Giorgia Brugnettini, CSVnet Emilia-Romagna (Regional Confederation); Paola Capoleva, CSV Lazio; Cristina De Luca, CSV Lazio; Elena Dondi, CSV Parma Piacenza Reggio Emilia; Roberto Ferri CSV Friuli Venezia Giulia; Rosa Franco, CSVnet Puglia (Regional Confederation); Lorenzo Gianfelice, CSV Umbria; Paolo Gobbi, CSV Marche; Claudio Latino, CSV Valle D'Aosta; Maria Luisa Lunghi, CSV Cremona Lodi Mantova Pavia; Luigi Paccosi, CSV Tuscany (Deputy Vice President); Piero Petrecca, CSV Molise (Treasurer); Elena Pera CSV Caserta; Andrea Pistono CSVnet Piedmont (Regional Confederation); Salvatore Raffa (Vice President), CSV Etneo (CSV Catania, Enna, Syracuse, Ragusa); Giovanni Romeo, CSVnet Calabria (Regional Confederation); Riccardo Trentin, CSV Sardinia; Filippo Viganò, CSVnet Lombardy (Regional Confederation).

Tags:
• third sector
• Volunteering