1. 1 Il filo d’Arianna Paolo Rusticelli I was born in 1948 in Borgo Panigale, a town very close to Bologna. I’m the third of five brothers. I attended compulsory education until the age of 14 and then I started working.

2. Il filo d’Arianna I worked most of my life as a technician for SIP (Società Italiana Telefoni), the old state telephone company and, until recent times, the only one existing in our country.

3. Il filo d’Arianna Unfortunately I had to quit school due to serious family problems. In the meanwhile I met my future wife, Emma. We got married and had a son, Alessandro I’ve always known how important education is, so I began to attend evening school after work.

4. Il filo d’Arianna I started volunteering when I was just 20 years old for AVIS, the Italian Association of Blood Donors. The association was founded in Milan in 1927 by a doctor and nowadays it is one of the largest and most important no profit association in Italy.

5. Il filo d’Arianna 22REGIONAL BRANCHES 111 PROVINCIAL BRANCHES 3180 LOCAL BRANCHES 773 SUPPORTING GROUPS over 1.000.000 donors per year over 1.800.000 donations per year The numbers

6. Il filo d’Arianna I’ve been the president of Crespellano branch since 2000. The biggest branches are provided with daily service and staff for blood collection. In Crespellano a mobile unit for blood collection is available every 3 months. A volunteer can donate blood every 3 months (400 cc) and plasma every 45 days. Crespellano counts more than 300 donors in its official records.

7. Il filo d’Arianna AVIS rewards the donors’ generosity in different ways: -Free medical visits, blood tests and other exams keep their health monitored -They are granted one day off work for each donation and…free breakfast after the donation! -They are given a medal at the achievement of a specific number of donations (blood and plasma) -Involvement in social activities such as parties, dinners and local fests to raise money for the association.

8. Il filo d’Arianna PUBBLICA ASSISTENZA This is another charity I’ve been volunteering for since 1982, the year of its foundation. We volunteer in support to the National Health Service.

9. Il filo d’Arianna Pubblica Assistenza is part of a larger association operating at national level named ANPAS (Associazione Nazionale Pubbliche Assistenze). The Province of Bologna counts 20 associations like ours which cooperate with the NHS paramedics providing first aid with ambulances

10. Il filo d’Arianna The volunteers drive the ambulance and provide first aid assistance to casualties in emergencies. Before starting their volunteer work they are trained by medical staff for different purposes. The service we give to the citizenship is on 24/7 all year round.

11. Il filo d’Arianna The local branch of Castello di Serravalle involves approximately 200 volunteers and 400 supporters and covers the area north-east of Bologna. In addition to emergencies, the association provides first aid assistance during public events (concerts, local festivals …), transport to privates from home to hospitals and organize first aid courses for the residents.

12. Il filo d’Arianna The new technologies have made available a new efficient service the association provide to elderly people who live at home alone: a remote monitor assistance available 24/7 and free of charge. The person assisted can contact the operator anytime, day and night. As a routine service the operator contacts every day the elderly person to make sure he/she is in good health and to find out if any kind of assistance is required.

13. Il filo d’Arianna Finally, I’m actively involved in an association founded in 1997 in Crespellano which gathers approximately 50 members with one passion: restoring old furniture.

14. Il filo d’Arianna We restore for free old and antique pieces of furnitures belonging to the Town Halls and the parishes of the Samoggia Valley

15. Il filo d’Arianna Every year we organize a course for those who want to learn the techniques to restore and renovate old pieces of furniture. The course is run from October to April. People participate mostly to restore their own old furniture.

16. Il filo d’Arianna We also organize courses to renovate frames and old straw chairs. An art professor teaches us how to recognize the different furniture styles and ages and to this purpose takes us out to visit old mansions and antiques shops

17. Il filo d’Arianna Volunteering is part of my life and gives meaning to it. I can’t really imagine my life without it.