The social cooperative “Il Sogno di una Cosa” operates in the field of personal services, currently managing 14 semi-residential and residential services across two territorial areas: Turin and its surroundings, and the Valle di Susa and Val Sangone.The cooperative has developed significant experience in designing and managing services for individuals with intellectual disabilities, focusing on innovative approaches that promote interventions aimed at improving the quality of life for these individuals. It aims to create a generative and proximity-based welfare system that offers advanced solutions to social, educational, and health-related needs.In the autumn of 2024, the cooperative will launch its branch B, initiating its first work production activity: Articiocc – inclusive gastronomy. The staff will include individuals with intellectual disabilities.The cooperative is committed to placing the individual, with their rights and responsibilities, at the center of every project, emphasizing empowerment.

Core Principles

• Bio-Psycho-Social Approach: Caring for individuals in their entirety.
• Inclusion and Active Citizenship: Promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities to reduce the risk of social marginalization.
• Social Living: Supporting individuals with disabilities or vulnerabilities through specific pathways toward a fulfilling adult life, believing that both the individuals and the services can become resources for society, contributing to the development of fairer and more inclusive communities.

Innovative Activities

• Adult Life Training: A multidimensional training program that supports young people and young adults with disabilities in navigating their life projects, developing personal skills and competencies, and fostering personal growth in a group context. This methodology is currently applied in the experimental C.A.D. Training 3A at the Paideia Foundation and in two projects under the P.N.R.R. in which the cooperative is involved.
• Territorial Inclusion Sites (C.I.T.): Projects that reinterpret the C.A.D. within the service framework of Con.I.S.A. and ASL TO3 in the Valle di Susa and Val Sangone. These sites promote educational activities organized in “construction sites” within non-disability-specific structures, collaborating closely with public and private local entities.

Active Projects

Some active projects include extra openings of libraries, collaborations for park maintenance with local authorities, and sustainability projects with schools.

European Projects

The cooperative has implemented Erasmus+KA2 and Erasmus+KA1 projects aimed at:

• Promoting the right of individuals with disabilities to actively participate in global issues (e.g., achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda).
• Enabling young adults with intellectual disabilities to acquire key competencies for civic engagement in European democratic life.
• Increasing opportunities for travel experiences abroad as a rite of passage into adulthood.

Articiocc Gastronomy

Set to open in autumn 2024 at Via Palazzo di Città 6, Turin, this commercial venture aims to provide job opportunities for individuals with disabilities and those at risk of marginalization, promoting a fairer and more sustainable economy. The cuisine reflects these values, using quality, sustainable ingredients sourced from local producers who share a passion for taste and social inclusion.