The AFAS association of Ciudad Real has a job placement project in Tomelloso, in which people with intellectual disabilities work in a food truck, “from where they sell delicious artisan bakery products.” In this way, through quality professional training in a real work environment, “they have managed to make it a reality” that they can develop in the field of hospitality, bakery and pastry.
The project was launched in October last year and is funded by the Ministry of Social Welfare, which contributes 15,000 euros, in addition to the support of the Tomelloso City Council. The councilor Bárbara García Torijano values that it is “a format as original as a vintage van, baptized as ‘La Valiosa’, which its workers take care of, clean and maintain at the AFAS center”.
On the other hand, the AFAS center in Tomelloso also has an industrial laundry that, in addition to serving eight homes, hosts training actions for people with disabilities through a Dual Training program. In this project, in operation since September, the ministry has invested 43,000 euros.
AFAS was born in 1977 with the aim of assisting people with disabilities in Tomelloso and its region. Currently, daily coverage is provided to more than 1,000 people in the centers of Alcázar de San Juan, Bolaños de Calatrava, La Solana, Socuéllamos and Tomelloso. The staff is made up of more than 230 qualified professionals.
The Ministry of Social Welfare has been collaborating with AFAS since 1995 to finance personnel costs and maintenance of care programs for people with intellectual disabilities, with the fundamental objective of improving the quality of life of these and their families. This year, the contribution of the Board has been almost five million euros to maintain its centers and services of the Regional Public Network.
