Outdoor work and activities are essential tools for fostering the inclusion and recovery of boys and girls with health problems. Participating in work and recreational activities in natural environments stimulates autonomy, socialization and a sense of belonging. Contact with nature and physical engagement improve mental and physical well-being, strengthening self-esteem and motor skills. These experiences help overcome social and physical barriers, promoting integration with the group and awareness of one's own potential. Supporting sick children is one of the goals of the CasaOz association since its founding in 2005 in Turin: here, the house offers hospitality to children being treated at the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital and their families. Today, CasaOz has a new goal: to renovate the former Molino di Cavoretto, received in concession from the City of Turin, to expand its activities to protect people and the territory. What will rise in the new facility? Two kitchens, one educational and one professional; a social-rehabilitation day care center for minors; a space for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders; 4 mini-apartments for autonomy paths for young people with disabilities; multifunctional spaces open to the community. The initiative we are supporting, Un orto per tutti (“A vegetable garden for all”), plans to redevelop a green area with an equipped and accessible therapeutic and educational garden where garden therapy and environmental education activities can be carried out. The therapeutic garden will be available to CasaOz guests, the approximately 50 adolescents being treated at the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit of the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, as well as local schools and the entire community, with activities ranging from gardening to growing plants and vegetables. Garden therapy represents a valuable resource for improving the mental and physical well-being of those who experience illness: therapeutic gardening, with its physical and mental benefits, helps to reduce stress, improve mood and restore a sense of freedom and well-being to those who need it most. Details Location: Turin Association: CasaOz Beneficiaries: 400 people for garden therapy activities Contribution: 133,000 euros Period: October 2024 to February 2026
