News

Parma Municipality Press conference
Welfare alderwoman Laura Rossi and disability deputy Mattia Salati took part to the
opening of Anffas new headquarter, in via Max Casaburi 15, in the presence of
Anffas Parma – Onlus President, Cristina Torricella, of associates, volunteers and
sympathisers, with them Elena Saccenti, Parma Local Health Authority General
Manager, Forum Solidarietà Arnaldo Conforti and municipal councillors Lorenzo
Lavagetto and Marco Maria Freddi. The new headquarter was made available by Asp
Ad Personam and has been renovated thanks to the contributions of Fondazione
Cariparma and Mrs. Maria Grazia Ferrari. It is a bright, modern, welcoming space
that is functional with respect to Anffas purposes, an association that stands out for
185 projects carried out, 30 volunteers involved, 153 journeys and with 50
associates.
“It’s with great pleasure– the Welfare alderwoman of Parma municipality
emphasised– for me to take part in this moment. The new Anffas headquarter brings
to a conclusion a project that started 8 years ago, which sees in the estate of Via
Casaburi a building keeping pace with the times and capable of fully meeting the
needs linked to the world of disability”.
Anffas president, Cristina Torricella, expressed satisfaction and thanked all the
individuals who, variously, made possible creating the new headquarter, “a place
putting people at the centre”.
Anffas Parma was born in 1966 as a section of National Anffas, proceeded in January
2002 to become an Association named Anffas Parma-Onlus. Anffas Parma Onlus
Associates are parents or family members of disabled people, all sharing the
awareness of problems linked to social inclusion, keeping psychophysical abilities
and the “After Us” distressing problem, due to the death of parents of disabled
people and to the possibility of giving them the max. autonomy available in a
serenity, safe perspective.
Anffas Onlus was founded in Rome on 28 March 1985 by a group of parents with
kids with intellectual disabilities gathering around a mum: Maria Luisa Ubershag
Menogotto. At the time, people with disabilities, especially with intellectual
disability, and their families lived in a tragic situation, surrounded by a segregation
and compaction climate, benefitting almost only from fragmentary charity initiatives
and basically left alone without opportunities or support. The destiny of most of
them, marginalised from school, work and society, was to have a sad, undignified
existence, often closed in huge psychiatric institutes.

Things are different nowadays and the Association is committed, on a national and
territorial level, to promote activities, such as dance theatre, gym, shiatzu, art
workshops, cinema and many others. Moreover, Anffas Parma Association provides
family members with a free service of welcoming and information through
counselling offered by the Sportello S.A.I?, active at our headquarters.