“Sportello Solidale Vicenza” is born, a service for vulnerable individuals and volunteers
Councilor Tosetto: «Concrete support for access to city services»

A telephone information desk on social services e social-healthcare. This is the initiative renamed “Vicenza Solidarity Help Desk”, wanted by the department of social policies of the City of Vicenza: evolution of the “Safe Summer” project, which became a full-blown emergency in 2020 Covid “Vicenza sicura”, and subsequently “In Vicenza you are not alone”. The service is further strengthened, becoming not only a point of reference -promote their right to information, education and organisation to safeguard their interests' (TFEU, Article XNUMX). e orientation for individuals and families to facilitate access to services, but also a channel of dialogue for local associations, increasing collaboration between third sector e municipal administration.

«On the basis of previous experiences, Vicenza is opening a new office that aims to be a point of reference for our citizens who find themselves in a situation of economic difficulty, Or of social fragility o ., or who simply want to receive information for themselves but also for their families", declared thecouncilor for social policies Matteo Tosetto. «A point of reference also for all those voluntary associations that enrich our community and that require simple information on reference standards and on possibility of contributions or concessions. A very important thing for us is to continue to work in a network and as a team with the third sector, because without them we will not be able to better understand the new needs that need to be interpreted. A further service, therefore, that is added to all those that we are trying to activate, aimed at supporting the voluntary, to better inform citizens and to help them even in small things".

Activities for individuals and familiese

The activities of the help desk for individuals and families include: promotion,facilitation , simplification of access to integrated services for the fight against poverty and for social inclusion, as well as access to one-off social measures and benefits social-healthcare. In addition, the counter provides orientation on citizens' rights in these areas and facilitates access to specific support in emergency situations, such as weather conditions o sanitary.

Activities for the third sector

For third sector, the help desk promotes and facilitates the construction of a relationship of dialogue between associations, informal groups and the municipal administration, informing e guiding the third sector realities regarding the collaboration opportunities offered by the public body. It also promotes access to initiatives of social solidarity, like the collaboration agreements and the Register of civic volunteers. Furthermore, it guides third sector entities on ways of collaborating with the administration, such as co-design and co-programming.

The Civic Volunteers

As regards the civic volunteers, the desk supports the Participation office in the management of the Civic Volunteers Register, contacting the applicants to arrange introductory meetings. The register currently includes 121 volunteers, of which 67 are active in various fields such as social services, housing sector, and education.

Lifestyle

Among other services promoted by the Vicenza Solidarity Help Desk, I'm there continuous mapping of community services and resources, the collaboration for the promotion di social nets, and the implementation of the data collected in the IT portals of the Municipality. The desk also produces information material on the services offered, available on the institutional websites.

The numbers

In the quarter of June, July and August, the counter has recorded 295 contacts, with an average of 92 calls per month in 2024. The total number of calls received to date is 738, XNUMX 3552 calls since December 2021. The most represented age group is that of over sixty, with over the 30% of callers over 80 years old. The predominance of calls is from the women (74%).

The help desk can be contacted at the number 0444 221020, from Monday to Friday From To 9 12, Tuesday and Thursday also from To 15.30 17.30.