Family Policies: GenGle Invited by the Municipality of Rho

GenGle, a community for single parents, was invited by the Municipality of Rho to participate in discussions on family policies, marking a significant step in advocating for the needs of separated parents and strengthening the association's role in social initiatives.

GenGle's Role in Municipal Family Policies

<img class="align-center" src="https://www.gengle.it/posts/entries/images/genglerichiestepolitiche.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /> 564 days – that’s how long it’s been since I joined this community and made my debut as a GenGle ambassador. It feels like yesterday since I first discovered the site and decided to tell the world that we exist. Rho, November 30, 2017. The Municipal Table for Family Policies convenes. Representatives from various organizations are present: the diocesan pastoral coordination, Compagnia delle Opere, Caritas, Acli, Famiglie Arcobaleno, and many others. On the other side of the table are council members, a public official, and two unidentified individuals representing the Municipality. And there I am, the newest and last to arrive, determined to advocate for the cause of separated parents. As I wait for the meeting to begin, I reflect on my journey over these 564 days. From my first event in Monza to the first Escape Room, returning after a difficult period, the farmhouse, games, and finally the Castle. Yet, it was never enough for me: how could I give back the benefit I gained from being part of this community? By aiming higher, by participating where social policies and their funding are decided. In two hours, my first two hours of what I hope will be a lasting and fruitful journey, I hear about everything: issues related to disabilities, the elderly, children of all ages, adults in difficulty, drugs, ISEE the Italian economic indicator... Until it’s our turn, discussing neutral spaces where children are met whose parents are struggling to find peace, conflicts, and housing policies for homeless fathers. I learn that the Municipality of Rho is completing apartments to be managed by local non-profits. It might be possible for us to have one and serve as a point of reference for separated individuals in Rho. I think of my friends and of what they must have suffered, while municipal employees talk about conflicts between parents, children caught in the middle, meetings in neutral territory, fathers without homes and/or jobs... all dynamics that GenGle members know all too well, but which might be just one of many issues for happily married couples. Then, I speak up: I introduce myself and talk about us and our association. About the solidarity among GenGle members. As a new figure, I remain on the sidelines for now, but I trust I’ll become more integrated by February. I did it. I raised the bar again. From being newly separated to today, the journey has been long and arduous, but I’ve accomplished it. From my first event a movie to the Castle, I’ve gone from 8 to 192 people. It’s time to do more, to spread the GenGle name in society. To ensure the Association becomes a point of reference, a cornerstone of specific social policies, and a resource for those who find themselves alone. I think back to all the people I’ve met in these 18 months. With some, I don’t have a great relationship; with others, I don’t have one at all, either because they no longer participate or because they can’t stand me. But with others, we are, and I hope always will be, friends. But to all of them, I want to say one thing: you’re not just part of a dating site or a platform to organize fun evenings out. This, I will never tire of saying, is a community that, starting today, isn’t afraid to sit down and negotiate with an organization like Caritas, for example. They have millions, while we can spend only one type of currency that is priceless: the love that drives us forward daily. This is the movement of a people, as long as each person feels they are a part of it. GenGle is a phase of life, from separation to rebirth. GenGle is the desire for life and the return to it. GenGle is love. Proud to be a part of it. Andrea Smidili, our GenGle representative for social policies in Lombardy <img class="align-center" src="https://www.gengle.it/posts/entries/images/comunedirho.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" />

Summary and Vision

This article highlights GenGle's proactive engagement with local government to influence family policies and secure support for single parents. It emphasizes the community's growth, the importance of advocacy, and the unique value GenGle brings through shared experience and mutual support.