Eliodoro project for young people: In My Place launches for young people and families

The Eliodoro project for young people, In My Place, will be presented on Wednesday 26 August at 5.30 pm in the Dialogo hall of the Verbiti community, at 47 Via Venezia in Riva del Garda. Its aim is to support young people and families dealing with relationship difficulties, social isolation or disability. The initiative is promoted by the Eliodoro ETS social cooperative, which has been active in the Alto Garda area for more than 25 years.

The My Place service is intended for people aged between 16 and 30 who find it difficult to build or maintain meaningful relationships. The space will be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm at the intermunicipal youth centre Cantiere 26 in Arco. It is not a healthcare service, a day centre or an after-school facility, but a low-threshold educational and relational setting where participants can try out meetings, activities and new experiences, following their own interests and personal pace.

Access is direct and does not require a formal referral from social services. After an initial introductory meeting, young people can attend the space freely. The project is aimed, among others, at those who have completed a placement in a residential community or a socio-educational centre, those experiencing emotional vulnerability or social withdrawal, and young people not in education, employment or training who have difficulty taking part, even if they are not supported by services.

The second service is a free and confidential listening desk for caregivers and family members of people with disabilities or other vulnerabilities. Led by a qualified psychologist, it provides initial support, a listening service and guidance to help prevent emotional overload and isolation, without constituting a psychotherapy programme.

The initiative also includes monthly mutual self-help groups operating in the municipalities of the Alto Garda Family District: Riva del Garda, Arco, Dro, Tenno and Ledro. Two pathways are planned: one for parents of minors with vulnerabilities or disabilities and one for relatives of adults in the same situation. Meetings will be led by trained facilitators and supervised by a psychologist. The presentation on 26 August will also be an opportunity to explain the pathway for volunteers interested in becoming facilitators.