Santa Lucia Cooperativa sociale

Santa Lucia Cooperativa sociale is an Italian social cooperative headquartered in Asola, in the province of Mantua, Lombardy. It was founded in 1988 by a small group of social and health care workers who wanted to build a rehabilitation path for psychiatric patients, involving their families and local institutions. The cooperative was formally established by notarial deed on 13 December 1988, and was named Santa Lucia after the saint of the day, as a symbol of joy and hope. Its mission is to use work as a form of redemption and social inclusion for people at risk of marginalisation. The cooperative operates mainly in the Mantua area, with its base in Asola and an operating radius of about one hour's drive, gradually expanding toward Milan. It describes itself as a social enterprise of 460 people and works with companies to match work tasks with the most suitable people. Its main service areas are cleaning and sanitisation for civil, industrial and socio-health environments; catering in companies, schools and nursing homes; school canteens; and additional services such as territory maintenance, logistics, custody and administrative management. It pays specific attention to vocational training for its work teams, especially for people with psychological, physical or life-experience difficulties. Santa Lucia is a cooperative society, not a listed company. Its governance includes a president, vice-president and board members. As of the official website's 'Le persone' page, Arianna Spazzini is President and Head of Human Resources and Job Placement, Massimo Zucchi is Vice-President and Head of Planning and Management Control, and Giovanna Rubessi is a delegated board member and Management Manager. The workforce is predominantly female, and the board of directors includes four women out of five. The cooperative has obtained ISO 9001 certification for the design and delivery of cleaning, disinfection and sanitisation services in civil, industrial and healthcare settings, as well as for the design and job placement of people with 'disadvantage'. It also manages bars and canteens in hospitals and care facilities, and has launched innovative projects such as a car wash in Asola and the Viridiana social cooperative for educational services to young people. In recent years, Santa Lucia has continued to grow. Its official website reports that in 2024 it had 368 workers, and by the time of the website's current data it had 460 people. It has worked with ASST Mantova for 40 years and employs over 100 people with certified fragility in healthcare facilities in the Mantua area. The cooperative also engages in public reflection on social issues, such as gender-based violence, through documentaries and internal training. Its stated dream is a world in which Santa Lucia no longer has reason to exist, where society and businesses welcome diversity as wealth.

Santa Lucia Cooperativa sociale was founded in 1988 by a small group of social and health care workers who wanted to create a rehabilitation path for psychiatric patients, involving their families and local institutions. At that time, the Basaglia Law was still a relatively new development in Italy, and psychiatry was beginning to move away from isolation as the only solution. The cooperative was formally established by notarial deed on 13 December 1988. Isabella proposed naming it Santa Lucia, the saint of the day, as a symbol of joy and hope. The first president personally drove workers to their assignments in his old car, giving fragile people the chance to express and have their potential valued. In 1999, the cooperative launched its first innovative project: a car wash in Asola. In 2001, it obtained ISO 9001 certification for the design and job placement of people with 'disadvantage'. In 2003, it won the management of the bar at the hospital of Castiglione della Stiviere, and in the same year the Viridiana social cooperative was born, offering educational services to young people. In 2004, the PIDGIN kiosk, an 'open construction site' in the municipality of Gazzuolo, was established. In 2006, it obtained ISO 9001 certification for the design and delivery of cleaning, disinfection and sanitisation services in civil, industrial and healthcare settings. Also in 2006, it managed the literary café of the Asola hospital. In 2011, it managed the bar of the Maugeri Foundation in Castel Goffredo. In 2012, it inaugurated the cooking centre and self-service 'A pranzo con...' (the text is truncated). Over the decades, Santa Lucia has grown into a social enterprise of 460 people, working with companies to match tasks with suitable people. Its services include cleaning and sanitisation, catering, school canteens, territory maintenance, logistics, custody and administrative management. It operates mainly in the Mantua area, with its base in Asola and an operating radius of about one hour's drive, expanding toward Milan. In 2024, it had 368 workers. It has worked with ASST Mantova for 40 years and employs over 100 people with certified fragility in healthcare facilities in the Mantua area. The cooperative continues to engage in social reflection, including on gender-based violence, and provides organisational counselling and training for its staff.

• 2024

  Reports 368 workers.

• 2012

  Inaugurates the cooking centre and self-service 'A pranzo con...' (text truncated).

• 2011

  Manages the bar of the Maugeri Foundation in Castel Goffredo.

• 2006

  Obtains ISO 9001 certification for cleaning, disinfection and sanitisation services; manages the literary café of the Asola hospital.

• 2004

  PIDGIN kiosk, an 'open construction site' in the municipality of Gazzuolo, is established.

• 2003

  Wins management of the bar at the hospital of Castiglione della Stiviere; Viridiana social cooperative is born.

• 2001

  Obtains ISO 9001 certification for the design and job placement of people with 'disadvantage'.

• 1999

  First innovative project: a car wash is inaugurated in Asola.

• 1988

  Cooperativa sociale Santa Lucia is founded by notarial deed on 13 December.

Social enterprise and cooperative that combines business services with job placement for people with certified fragility, rooted in the Mantua area and expanding toward Milan.

• Cleaning and sanitisation

  For civil, industrial and socio-health environments, with attention to health and sustainability.

• Catering

  In companies, schools and nursing homes, using the gastronomic richness of the territory.

• School canteens

  Management of school canteens, including enrolment and presence management.

• Territory maintenance

  Services for the care of the local area.

• Logistics

  Logistics services.

• Custody

  Custody services.

• Administrative management

  Administrative management services.

1. 1Cooperativa Santa Luciacoopsantalucia.com
2. 2Chi Siamo - Coop Santa Luciacoopsantalucia.com
3. 3La Storia - Coop Santa Luciacoopsantalucia.com
4. 4Le persone - Coop Santa Luciacoopsantalucia.com
5. 5Santa Lucia Cooperativa sociale - Wikidatawikidata.org