We visited "La Cascina," a residential community in Villa d'Almè, one late August morning. Despite the rain, the beautiful house—the result of restoring an old farmhouse—looked welcoming. Marco Crippa, the coordinator in charge of the community, spent an entire hour generously explaining how everything works.
Standing in front of the building and listening to how the place operates, you feel a rush of joy and surprise. Everything here seems designed and built with one purpose: to offer the people who live here a good, rich life.
We address La Cascina's origins and practical workings in a separate section, but we want to explain why it impressed us so favorably. Take, for instance, the importance placed on work. It is not seen as a way to fill empty hours, or merely as a tool for socializing, or even as a chance—welcome as that is—to earn fair wages. Work is treated as a genuine part of a person's identity, just like play and rest are for any other human being, disabled or not.
And then there is this question: what does La Cascina hope to offer the people it welcomes? It does not present itself as a rehabilitation center or a school or a social service alone. It wants to offer a life. The people who work and live with the residents want to give what a mother and father try to give their children: a good life, attention to needs and gifts, a steady search for what is best, offered with affection and intelligence.
How does it do this? Not by pretending it can meet every need on its own. Instead, it calls on the local community to share this work: the people who live nearby, the parish, the town government, even local shopkeepers. Everyone is invited to join in this act of welcome and care, appealing to that desire we all have to build a world of civility and peace. You might ask: how can a single visit lead to such optimistic thoughts? There are many reasons. The way the place was founded. The range of its resources. The many forms of support. The work of volunteers. The philosophy that shines through the coordinator's words. And yes, the calm, steady way those words were spoken.
Is it important to say that all the residents have made significant progress?
- L. B., 2003
Background
"La Cascina" Consortium (a social cooperative) sits in Villa d'Almè, a town in a pleasant location at the gates of Bergamo.
Origins
It is a residential community, founded eight years ago by the ACLI of Bergamo, the ENAIP Foundation of Lombardy, and a consortium of four local social cooperatives: the "Lavorare insieme" Cooperative for personal services, the "Koinè" Cooperative for job placement, and the "La Flora" and "La Serena" Cooperatives, which work in the field of cooperative development.
Growth
"La Cascina," a complex undertaking that began with more limited goals, expanded later toward full residential care and the promotion of residents' growth when it became clear that the area had far greater needs—and lacked any residential communities at all. Initially, there was some local opposition to the consortium's arrival; those obstacles were overcome, and today residents move about the surrounding area without escorts.
Funding
The cooperatives initially received six billion old lire for the project. Additional support came from the local church, a bank, and community members. Today, the regional health authority, local municipalities, and families contribute to the residents' care.
Structure and Activities
La Cascina is a large, two-story building that provides full residential care for a small group of people unable to live with their families. They form two communities, each with its own apartment: one offers intensive support for people with serious psychiatric disabilities (currently five residents) and the other provides standard support for those with milder psychophysical disabilities (currently seven residents).
Full residential care is also provided to the family of one employee, ensuring 24-hour presence and security. La Cascina sits on 90,000 square meters of land and includes a vineyard with cellars for producing DOC wine, as well as "Oikos," an agricultural cooperative dedicated to job placement for people with disabilities. The property also has meeting rooms for training programs run by unions and other social organizations in the area.
In its effort to integrate residents into local life, the consortium offers other services to the community: training and support services, mutual aid networks for families of people with disabilities in the province, and rapid response assistance.
Staff
La Cascina employs eleven staff members—including director Cinzia Finazzi and coordinator Marco Crippa—who work as social assistants, social-health workers, and professionals. Several volunteers supplement the team: three work in direct services, and about ten accompany residents in daily activities.
Additional Details
Meals for the residents are provided by an outside restaurant—another way of preventing isolation. The agricultural cooperative "Oikos" serves the same purpose. As for its cultural foundation, the consortium is rooted in the Catholic tradition, though its operations follow principles of secular management.
- G. B., 2003
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