Annual report 2004 - Compagnia di San Paolo

The Ufficio Pio
www.ufficiopio.torino.it
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The Ufficio Pio, dating back to 1595, delivers assistance services in favour of socially
deprived groups, granting aids in favour of Turin metropolitan area individuals or households
experiencing hardship.
In the wake of the new Articles of Association’s enforcement, in 2004 the Ufficio Pio operative and
planning structure were underpinned. Foreign immigrants were integrated in the potentially
assistance-needing categories, thus reiterating both the importance of the Ufficio Pio for the Turin
area and its mission: tackling in a timely and effective manner all critical situations affecting the
weakest layers of society.
The underlying ambition of the Ufficio Pio is to channel available resources towards highly
innovative viable initiatives. In order to pursue this objective, the role of Delegati (charity stewards)
was strongly enhanced, thus improving the needs of an ever-evolving society.
Bearing this in mind, the Ufficio kept “recruiting” and training new volunteers to tackle with
increasing effectiveness old and new forms of poverty affecting a growing number of people
experiencing social and economic hardship. By doing so, 16 new Delegati joined the Ufficio’s staff
thus increasing the volunteers total number, currently amounting to 203. To guarantee the quality
of old and new Delegati’s support activities, specific seminars with the attendance of experts in the
socio-assistential field were organised.
Moreover, the Ufficio Pio developed and strengthened the management and coordination of plans
related to work training scheme grants, summer holidays, training schemes for young people
experiencing hardship and “new start” programmes for school drop-outs.
All programmes were integrated by preventive measures taken in schools, with the aim of bringing
school expulsions to an end.
Some of the implemented initiatives were managed by Special Districts, set up with volunteers with
specific expertise in the various assistance-needing sectors (vocational training, prisons,
hospitals, assistance to foreigners etc.) In particular, the Foreigners District became fully
operational, taking cross-district actions to meet the needs of foreign non E.U.
Furthermore, the Ufficio Pio supports projects organised by non-profit associations or
organisations, completing processes that have been already set in motion or setting up
mechanisms that in the end would benefit people experiencing hardship, as in the case of grants
or bonuses to foster training activities.
Resources and Lines of action
Resources made available in 2004, including assets and donations, amounted to about 4,8 million
euros, the most significant slice of which (4.5 millions) was allocated by the Compagnia di San
Paolo. Funds, excluding administrative expenditure of 400,000 euros, covered the awarding of
almost 4 million euros grants.
Action focused on two well-defined fundamental lines: ordinary relief grants were managed by the
Association of Ufficio Pio San Paolo Volunteers, while project planning was carried out directly by
the Ufficio’s structures.
The Association of Ufficio Pio San Paolo Volunteers, set up to define and suggest new operating
schemes and strategic objectives, was fully operational thanks to the presence of over 200