Come for the Coffee. Stay for the Help.

Hi everyone and welcome to Be The Ripple podcast. So the podcast is about impact that doesn't always announce itself. Each season I sit down with people who are creating something quietly sometimes, but very meaningful. They're not chasing headlines. They're not waiting for permission. They're just doing the work. And often without knowing exactly where it's going to lead or who it's going to reach.

So this season, we're looking specifically at the ripples that are invisible to the person creating them, the kind of impact that unfolds after you've left the room and that lands in someone else's life long after the conversation has ended. Season two is built around one central idea, that most significant things we do are often the ones that we never get to see.

And today's guest is exactly that for me, one of the most literal expressions of that. So there's a cafe in Bern, Switzerland, and it opened in October 2025. You can walk in, you can order an espresso, you can sit down, you can read a book, or you can ask for help. You can get help writing a job application, understanding a letter from the government, maybe even help with homework that you've been too embarrassed.

too embarrassed to ask about somewhere else. And incredibly, all of this is for free. There are no appointments, no lines, no referral required, just a cafe, a team of volunteers with time and the belief that everyone deserves a helping hand. So sometimes a ripple doesn't begin with a strategy. Sometimes it begins with a question. What does this neighborhood actually mean? And what happens when someone decides to show up and answer that question?

That is where Nicoletta della Valle De La Valla comes in. She's the founder and the initiator of the Sempre Berna. It is a not-for-profit neighborhood cafe in Berna's working class quarter. So Sempre Berna means Always Berne in Italian. And it's a nod to the Bern's long tradition of finding practical human-centered social solutions to the Italian heritage that's woven into the concept.

And the tagline rotates around four languages. It's Italian, German, French, and many dialect. And it simply means time for you. So alongside the cafe, the team of trained volunteers work there for free. You can have, as I mentioned, there are no appointments. There's no data collected. It's just here to help. And that's what we're going to talk about today. The volunteers give their time and the people, the people that need it pay nothing.

And what strikes me most about Nicoletta's work is this, that she is often likely not ever to see the changes that result of what she's built. So when someone gets help filing out a form and finally accesses a service they were entitled to, that ripple moves forward without her and it's built anyway. So I want you to listen today for the ripples that Nicoletta may not yet be able to see, the ones that begin the moment that someone walks through that door feeling unseen,

and leaves feeling a little less alone. So Nicoletta, thank you. And thanks for these ripples that you're creating. I'm so excited about this conversation. And I'm excited that we just kind of stumbled across each other as well. Sometimes those are ripples that happen that someone introduced us and said, I'm not sure why the two of you need to meet, but you need to meet. And it's led into beautiful conversations and who knows where else this is going to go. So thank you for being part of.

the conversation today.

Thank you. Good morning, Sabine.

Yeah, well, we're going to dive right in. And I think the question that probably most people want to hear is that this is an incredible story. And I'm curious to understand, was there a moment that you said, I need to do this and that you thought, OK, something like the Sempera Bene needs to exist?

It was rather a development than a certain moment. Opening a café was an idea. I've been having this idea, I think, for 30 years. But with my job in public service, I was a public servant for more than 30 years, I realized, especially federal administration, all administrations, they write a lot of things that no one understands. A lot of people, have...

problem writing, reading, dealing with forms. And apart from that experience as a lawyer, I always say lawyers, can't do much, but they know how to write. And that's what I have been doing to my family and to other people, helping them writing letters, writing a CV, writing an application. So...

These two ideas, they just came together. Why not combining the coffee bar and helping people? It's not only helping, it's also wanting to have fun.

Okay, so you're right. A coffee shop is a place that when you think about going there, it is a lot of fun too.

You need to like to be with people. Otherwise you shouldn't work in a coffee shop. So I always wanted to do that. I like being a host. So you say host? I think so. So I like this work. And yes, you need to love people, human beings. Otherwise it doesn't work.

Yeah, that is so true. So it's actually this feeling of actually helping having supported people in your previous career, liking coffee and wanting to be around and be, yeah, be a host for others. But it's a pretty big step to actually say, how did that connection happen? Like, how did those pieces come together when you said, OK, I love doing these things. And then how can I support people in this cafe setting? Because I have to say, I've never heard of a concept that's like this.

I think there are such concepts but limited for example to migrants or there is a coffee shop of the church but they have very limited hours. And for me it was a big question what do I do after retirement? It was clear I can't do nothing. It's not possible. I'm someone I have to move, I have to do something otherwise my husband would...

Mm.

go mad, my whole family. So, and the other reflection is, especially when someone doesn't know how to write or doesn't understand the letter, there is also some shame. such people, don't go to an official site to ask, please, I don't understand that letter. So being able to enter the coffee.

You

True.

the coffee shop to order coffee and maybe ask for help or just checking out the place. It's just the entry point is much easier. Also because you don't have to do a date, no appointment, you just can walk in and then you find out if someone of the volunteers has time, has skills or not. Maybe you need to come a second time. But that's how the idea developed.

OK, and is it clear for individuals when they come in? Is it labeled as a coffee shop or is it also is it clear that somebody can come in and ask for this kind of support?

It's labeled as a coffee shop. I did have to have all the permissions to have a coffee shop. It's not only for coffee, also for beer and other alcohols. And on our menu, the first page describes our project. So also guests who only want to coffee or beer, see, okay, it's not a regular coffee shop.

Okay, yep, they may not know when they come in, after they do, and then they can kind of keep this idea going.

And in the meantime, a lot of people who want advice, they are sent to our place by other organizations because authorities or other NGOs, they don't have time. They have maybe a slot of a half an hour. And when it gets complicated or they see it takes more time, they send people to our place. so, and I had a bit of media coverage when we started. and Bern is not a big place.

Mmm.

Yeah.

So with the time, people know. Because we are not in the heart of the city. We are a little bit in the neighborhood, a little bit outside. you need to come to our place, to want to come to our place.

Mm-hmm, yeah, okay. And that, speaking of the city of Bern, the name, Sempera Berna, means Always-Bern. And when we had our initial conversations, you said that that has a lot of meaning with you, also the association to the Italian. And can you share a little about the name?

So first thing, my grandparents are from southern Italy. So I'm half Italian. Well, don't unfortunately, I don't have the Italian passport, but half of me is Italian and the temperament is Italian and I love Italian coffee. I hate other coffees. You get in a lot of spaces, but I was born in Bern. I have almost always been in Bern and

You

The reflection on the name was also it must be a name that everybody in Bern can pronounce. It must not be too complicated, not a pronunciation in Italian that no one can pronounce and Sempre Berna seems quite easy to everyone.

Yeah, it is. It's a beautiful name. And when you say it, especially better than with my my English accent, when I say it, it's lovely. And what I love about the idea, what you mentioned before, is that you don't have appointments because I think that that sometimes you're in a situation and you need support. And then if you have to go to an agency and fill out an appointment, that could be weeks or even months forward. And you need help today or you need help.

in a couple of days. So I love this idea that there are no appointments and there's also no data collected. And what kind of pushed you to do that? That idea?

was I hate bureaucracy. if we start, yeah, I have been living in bureaucracy for my half of my life. So data collection means bureaucracy. If we start having data about clients, there is bureaucracy, there is controls that you have to announce the data collection. So it's also this reflection to keep it simple and easy.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Right.

It means if we write, for example, a letter or a CV for someone on our notebooks that are dedicated to counselling, the moment the person leaves, we erase everything we did for the person. Sometimes we send it to the person with email or print it, but we don't keep it.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I can imagine that makes the people feel comfortable as well that that they feel safe not to have to share all of that. And you're right for the bureaucracy. I love that, too, that as long as you don't have the data, you don't have to share that you're collecting it. Yeah, nice. And are people surprised? Do you see is there do people ask for more help with CVs or letters or is there kind of a yeah, a direction that you see the most supported?

Exactly.

The issues are very vast. have migrants, a lot of migrants who want help because they are not so good in the German language, so filling out forms. But we see also rich in Swiss people who have questions, who want the discussion. For example, I just give you an example, an elderly man who wanted a CV.

Mm-hmm.

It took me some time to understand. He doesn't want to apply for a job. He wanted help in writing his CV for his own funeral. So, yes, so you see the issues also the age range of people who ask who want our support is very fast from very young people who are looking for a job to elderly people who have problems filling out forms, applying for an apartment. So.

Yeah. Mmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm, great.

It's a lot of migrants, but not only. It helps that we speak different languages. Often we have to speak English or French or Italian. Some of our volunteers even speak Spanish. I'm myself, I'm astonished about the different issues that we are confronted with. And of course, we can't do everything. It depends on the skills that each of the volunteers of the experience, most of them are.

only.

retired, they have a professional experience. for example, we did once tax forms. We don't do that anymore. It kills us. There are other organizations, other agencies who do it much better than we. You need so specific skills to fill out tax forms that we decided, okay, tax forms, don't do it anymore.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, yeah, that's true. That could be, you're right, that could be kind of a, yeah, this gray zone that doesn't make sense to do. So volunteers and funding. So that's a big thing is that you work with volunteers, which is key, but also can be a challenge. I know that I've also supported a volunteer organization and that can be a challenge to do as well, but also the funding. your idea, maybe you can share the idea that,

you people can donate and can give money but most of it you'd like to keep itself self-sustaining so with the food and drinks that you sell to keep the cafe going.

Well, to be honest, I would have liked some funding from people who want to give money, but I didn't succeed. Bern is quite complicated to get just funding. You get funding for a project that has a beginning and an end. But what I got were things. I got gifts from firms, from industry for things, but not money.

How do you say things? So I have computers, I got a printer for free, but not money. What I didn't want is funding by the state, because there we are again in bureaucracy. If I get funding by the canton or by the city of Bern, then I will have to write reports about efficiency, maybe in a year or two, we change idea about funding.

Hmm.

So for the time being we try to cover our costs with a coffee bar. We are not yet there, but at the moment the biggest challenge is, as you mentioned, the volunteers. Our pool of volunteers is not big enough and to cover the opening hours that is from Monday to Friday in the morning, 9 o'clock in the morning till 8 o'clock at night.

Hmm.

Why so late? We need the upper-all time to cover costs, but also for people who need counselling, who work, that they can come later after work. So I would need a pool at least of 50 people to cover these times. If everyone comes once a week and they have a vacation, they are away, they have...

not yet, true.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Our pool is a little bit more than 30, and now is vacation time. So we have really trouble covering the shifts. I underestimated this task.

even more challenging.

Where do most of the you said most of the volunteers are retired? Would you say is that the majority 80 90 % okay?

Yes, the majority of the volunteers are retired and it's also win-win for them. They get to know, they get to learn something new. They get to meet new people. They get to work with someone with another background. For example, an ex-social worker is working now with an ex-industry man. So it's win-win for them because if it isn't, they don't come back because it's also work.

working in a coffee bar, doing the counselling, it's work. You need to learn something, you need to know how to operate a computer, an app. So it's also challenging. And what I see is that my generation of retired people, sometimes they have problems with IT, computers, with apps. So it needs also a lot of

Yeah, true.

Mm-hmm.

true.

patience. Yes, it's very diverse. We have also young volunteers that do that beside the job or in between two jobs just because they like the idea. And that's good for us that we have also younger volunteers, not very much. We have also two volunteers, two young women foreigners who want to learn German and working in the coffee bar helps them to practice German. But

A diverse group, yeah, and it's looking for a diverse group of volunteers,

Good.

Yeah, that's one thing I really underestimated is the challenge, the volunteer work. But everyone who is in the NGO, is working with volunteers confirms me. They tell me welcome in the club.

Yeah, exactly. It is a challenge. But this is a good chance because I was also thinking about one of the other groups that I volunteer for. There are quite a few people from the Berner Fachhochschule, which is coincidence that I also have some connections there. So we have to make sure that we get this episode pushed there, that maybe some people will hear about it and also want to volunteer some time. So if anyone's interested, I think you're happy to receive.

additional support from volunteers.

I hope so. need to. Weeks like this one and next week are not so funny. We have to insist to go on our knees, to plead people to come to work. In the long run, this will not work.

Mm-hmm.

Right, okay, so we'll definitely, we'll do a push for that. What I also love, what you shared with me, is this idea, and I think that that's just in general about starting projects like this, is that with your volunteers, that's a big core that you need, but you also are getting creative about collaborations, and you mentioned a food truck, another food delivery service, so it's really brought you to get career.

get creative on how you collaborate with other companies. And I'd love for you to share that story too. I think that's really nice, the way your thought process is around that.

Well, my former job, collaboration was key. was DNA, was collaboration. And when we started a café, we were often asked, why don't you cook? And I said, no, we will not cook with volunteers, that will kill us. So we were, I had the idea looking for a food truck, and now we have a food truck, an Italian food truck who comes on our terrace, you say terrace, every Wednesday lunch.

So people and I have to deal with him, he sells pasta and we sell drinks. So he doesn't sell drinks. So people can buy pasta in the food truck and come and eat in the cafe. He even puts a real plate in. We have his plates and so it works quite well. And we will do a similar thing with a Thai food place. It's a pure takeaway place.

just across the street from our cafe. And sometimes people who go and buy food at the Thai takeaway, they don't know where to eat it. So now we are dealing that he sends people to eat in our cafe and people who ask us, why don't you have food? send them to the Thai takeaway.

Mm-hmm.

Nice.

That's a... Yeah... No...

So that's the idea of cooperation. You don't need to do everything on your own. You don't get better. Sometimes there are things that are done better by other people.

Yeah, absolutely. I love that. And also there are other ideas. Who knows what else is out there? So again, this this sparks this idea of not having to do everything yourself. And oftentimes when you go into a cafe, there's big signs with the circle and the line through it. You know, don't bring food in and don't do this. But you're actually welcoming these ideas of how to collaborate. And it's great for the food truck as well. Right. The Italian food truck.

Yeah, till now, well, starting in autumn was quite a challenge. So I think now in spring and summer it will be better for the food truck. But he is a great guy. We are doing a good work together. So his numbers are not OK yet, but we are working on it. We are doing a lot of publicity for his food truck. So I think it will work. It should work out. And maybe I'll...

Mm-hmm.

check other food trucks for other days. Yes. So, so I have, there are always popping up some new ideas how we could be better. And I try to protect a little bit the volunteers that I don't exaggerate because it's already hard if you are not from gastronomy doing everything you have to do in a coffee bar without cooking, without being, doing complicated things.

to come other days. Yeah.

only coffee, wine and drinks. If you want a good quality, which we have, it's already complicated.

Right.

Yeah, yeah, true. And another another thing is, is that if a company wanted to support you, they could also book the cafe, I believe, right? That you can somebody could book it for maybe, I don't know, an event for a company.

Yes.

Yes, there are two possibilities to book the cafe. Either you book it with us, then it's closed user group and we do the bar. So you have a turn, you say turnover, turnover it has to bring or they book it without us, usually on weekends, but then they need to take a caterer that I know, because what I don't want is privates who are working on the...

Turn over, yep.

the professional machines and I don't know in which state they leave the cafe. But that's possible and it has already been done.

Mm-hmm. Sure. Yeah.

fantastic. So that's another way that individuals could support to get finances into the cafe to kind of keep the keep going though the work that you're doing. You know, we also what I think is so interesting about what you're doing is that sometimes individuals start something and we're I think we've become like this more of a society of this instant gratification and this instant joy that you feel. But a lot of what you're doing is unseen.

Yes.

Yes.

So you help someone potentially and you don't see the outcome if it's positive. Were they able to get a job? Were they able to get something completed, a form within the government to help them in the next step of whatever process that they're in? Were they able to get an apartment because you helped write a letter for them? And how is that for you and how is that for the volunteers? Is it something that you think about or is...

you don't think much about the ripples that you make or the impact that you have.

We realize that we usually we don't see the result. Sometimes we do. Sometimes people come back and say, it's so great. Thanks to you. And we enjoy that feedback. we are, I think most of the volunteers, they realize you don't get feedback usually. But it's how it is. It's you don't do this for the feedback. I think it's just you do it because you want to help.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

And if once in a while you get the feedback, you are happy. And that's it. That's it. We know it. Well, we didn't discuss it a long time because a lot of volunteers, they know it already because of their professions they had before. But I think it's clear for us.

that why you're doing this. Yeah, I love that. Yeah.

Yes, we should not forget also the volunteers. We all do it also for ourselves. We are not, as I say, Mother Theresa. We do it also, it's the gratification for yourself to do something that is useful. So we do it to have fun, to do something for ourselves, that we spend our time to do something useful.

Mm-hmm.

And I think this is already a lot.

great thing. Is there a story or a situation that you could share? Obviously nothing confidential, but is there one that you think, wow, that was an incredible thing that we helped someone with?

Sometimes it's easy. For example, had all in the beginning there was a lady, a foreigner. She found a new apartment and the old landlord didn't accept her...

her, yeah, not the resignation. I can't think of the English word now. The termination, the contract termination, yeah.

I just say that.

Yes, think the the contract termination for the old apartment. And she was completely in panic because she couldn't afford to pay two apartments. So we wrote an email to this landlord. It was an administration. We say, listen, we are Semprebenna, we are helping Miss X and we think what you are doing is not quite correct.

Mm-hmm.

And then we had a call which was in the beginning not so nice and afterwards it was nicer. I can turn out the lawyer in me. And in the end it worked out and she was all happy and that was an easy case.

Hahaha

There we saw the end. The landlord administration said, okay, okay, okay, you are right. We accept the termination of the contract. Everything is okay. But we had to intervene. this is also the thing, I think it's not right. It's not just that some, foreigners or someone who doesn't, who is not good in German, they get treated differently than when we come, we call and say, hey, listen,

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Mm.

what you are doing is not okay. And then all of a sudden it works.

Yeah, you're able to do it in your language, yep.

Yeah, yeah. And especially for the person as well, your confidence. I know too, when I moved to Germany, learning a new language, your confidence level is completely different than when you can speak the language. So I totally get it. And even though now I speak it, it's still not perfect. I still make mistakes, but it's a different sense than to have someone else come in. You're right. It's unfortunate that that has to be the case.

I also I love this tagline that is written. think you said that because I haven't been to the cafe because I live in Hamburg, but I hope to come soon that it's time for you appears that you have it also in several languages. And what does that what does that mean? Why did you why did you use that tagline?

It was an idea of one of my colleagues, she's also Italian. In the 60s there was a radio, not a station, how do you say, a season, a For the Italians in Switzerland, Unora per voi was the name, an hour for you. It was very famous among Italians. And we said, okay, what we give is time and now it's...

Yeah, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

We don't want to limit it an hour. We set time for you. And that's why the tagline. So we do it in all the languages. Time for you. So we do it in all languages because that's what we offer. Sometimes it's just listening to a story, to a complicated story. Sometimes you can't even help. We just have to listen and say, listen, you need to take a lawyer.

Nice.

Yeah.

and we can hand out addresses of lawyers. But it's time. we, after six months, that's what we note, that agencies and NGOs, don't have time. They are not staffed enough and they don't have time. And we take the time sometimes to fill out the complicated form. It takes you two hours and we take this time.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Hmm.

Yeah. Yeah. that is just an incredible thing in itself. This time you you see it everywhere. Somebody calls you. I have to come to the next call. I have to go here. I don't have time. And I think taking that time for an individual and you're so right, sometimes it's just having someone listen to you and like really listen to what's going on because you don't have a place to share it.

That is so valuable. Yeah. So the time for you. I love that that you take that that your team takes the time to listen and not hurry someone to the next appointment but is there for them during the entire during the time that they need to be heard. Incredible. Well this is all still pretty new. So you started in October.

Yeah.

Alright you i think you've obviously started way before October in the planning and setting things up. But you officially launched in October and yeah how is this process been how has it been for you to start the cafe are there things that you would do differently are there things. That that you do again how tell me about that.

So I think it's similar with all such projects. I underestimated a lot of things, but I think it's like a startup. If you would have known everything, maybe you wouldn't have done it. So what is absolutely fascinating is it's learning. I say when people ask me, are you retired? I say, no, I have a new profession.

Mm-hmm.

You've done it and that's true.

I'm in the world of gastronomy. I learn how to buy things, how to compare prices. I learn what is important, what is not important. I learn about hygiene. I learn the process in the cafe, that it works. So it's like learning a new profession. And this is absolutely fascinating. And then of course, there are also...

Hmm.

things we didn't foresee. So what I mentioned that it's harder than I thought dealing with finding volunteers. In the beginning I had a list of 70 people who said, great project, I want to be part of it. And when we started they all disappeared or most of them disappeared. it's a lot of challenges, it's a lot of learning, each day learning and that's

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

That makes for me the challenge. I realize it's even, it's also sometimes stressful because well, everyone who has a restaurant or a restaurant where you cook is even worse. I don't want to talk about that, but a cafe, it's hard work. It's just hard work. are on your legs the whole day. You are running around. are, you know,

When you go shopping for the restaurant, it's carrying things. say it's free fitness. Free fitness for me. So it's a new profession. It's hard work. And sometimes I'm tired. I'm just tired. I say, OK, now I need a break. I need to sleep. But it's completely different from jobs in administration. Before, I could delegate a lot.

You know, you have a team, can say, okay, I want this, I have an idea, do that, do that, do that. And now if someone has an idea, it's always me. I'm the one. We should, and the we is me. So, so, yeah, it's, it's being on your own because the responsibility, even I need a team of volunteers, but the responsibility for authorities about hygiene, about everything is on me. So it's my...

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

like my little enterprise. Also for the numbers, for the money, for everything. And for me, it's a new experience and it's a great experience. I would do it again. And even if in one year or two we say, okay, it's not working because of the costs, we can't cover the costs. Even if I would have to pull the plug, would say I would never, it's good that I tried it.

Yeah, it is.

you

Mm-hmm.

and I would try other projects. It's good to take the risk and this is not something that is often... Switzerland has... We are a little bit risk averse. We don't like taking risks and we don't like failure. And when I started this, knew... I didn't know if it works. But I took that in account that maybe it doesn't work. We shall see.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Right.

It doesn't. Yeah. But it's worth it. But it's worth the try because if it does work. Yeah. And. Absolutely. And if you think, OK, started in October, if you if you look maybe one or two years into the future, what what is your goal? What what would you like to see the cafe be doing, say in two years time?

It's worth trying. Yes. Yes, you have to try.

Hmm.

One goal is covering the costs and maybe a second goal, but that's very ambitious, is that the turnover of the cafe is so big that we could afford to have paid staff for the cafe and the volunteers are only doing the counselling. But we are far away from that. That would be one possible goal. And another goal would be to a cooperation with other bars.

I think you don't need to do everything on your own. Sometimes corporations could be very fruitful. I didn't look out for corporations till now. In the beginning I tried, but the guy I asked didn't want to. But this could also be a way. But engaging staff that is paid should be...

Mm-hmm.

would be a good way because this struggle for enough volunteers, can't go on like that for two or three years.

Right. OK. All right. Well, those are realistic and we just it's now it's about getting the word out. Maybe that's part of it as well. Just having more and more people understand also your passion and the meaning behind this, because what you said earlier is that people do we volunteer and we support because it also is a good feeling for us that you want to have an impact that you want.

the majority of people want to give back. So now it's like tapping into those other organizations or other groups that also want to do that, but maybe don't know with who or where. So the Sempra Vana could be an opportunity for other organizations as well.

Yes, especially in my generation, are the... My daughter uses this to insult me, but we are the boomers. We are the boomers, so we are a lot. And there lot of my age or a little bit younger that will be retired soon or are just going to be retired. And of course, there are some people who just want to enjoy, to travel, to play golf, but others, want to do something.

hahahahah

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, absolutely.

They want to do something with their time and just chilling out a little bit and reading books and traveling is not enough. So what I do, I tell everyone I meet, say, if you know something who is just recently retired, doesn't know what to do, getting on the nerves of his wife or his husband, send them to me.

me. Yeah, I will take care of that. Call Nicoletta. Yeah, fantastic. One of the things that that I like to talk to individuals about is legacy. And what is legacy? think legacy is something that we often think about like at our

Yeah, thank you.

Please.

obituary what people write about us, but I believe legacy is today and what we're doing today. So if you think about yourself and you think about the cafe, what type of legacy would you like to be written about about the two of you?

well, legacy is a big word and sometimes it's overestimated. It's like castles on the beach. One wave is coming and the castle is away. So you shouldn't overrate your own legacy. think a lot of people told me when I started the idea last summer, they said you are completely crazy. Also, people from gastronomy, said, why do you do it? It's so hard.

It is.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, true.

So maybe one legacy that will be on my tombstone will be she was crazy. And from Sempre Berna, I think if in the future the place will not exist anymore, it will be missed because what we realized that we are really filling a gap. We didn't know that when we started and we see it now. We have a statistic that without names and

I'm

Hmm.

We are around 130 cases since October. So apparently we are filling a gap. So the moment Sempre Berna doesn't exist anymore, it will be missed, I guess.

Wow.

There is a gap.

That is a beautiful legacy to leave that it will be missed and the people there and what you're doing. And that's incredible. 130 cases so far. Wow, that's really impressive.

Yes.

Yes. I didn't expect that when we started.

Nice.

There's also lot of cooperation, I didn't mention that, not only with other food producers but also with organizations. So we have cooperation with agencies for people who are searching, who are without work or with churches or with neighborhood organizations. So this is also important because it doesn't help that you exist if no one knows about you.

Yeah.

Mmm.

So we have this cooperation, this network, are in the network of NGOs. So the other NGOs, know about us, we know about them, we know what they offer. So it's also sometimes we send people, we can't help with the issue, so we know where to send these people. So the networking is a very important part of it.

Absolutely.

Yeah, fantastic. Yeah, yeah. I think that that's probably something that you've brought with you from your career as well, this networking, because it is one of the most important things. And I think often one of the most underestimated things that people do or do that don't do to build that network is so crucial. Yeah. Yeah. Big, big, big thing. And you're starting to and you've built you're starting to build that and it's expanding. And that's wonderful to hear.

Yes.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Because you're right, one person can share something else and send you here or these these networks are key. So thank you. We have to say thank you to Dieter Grohmann for our network to bringing us bringing us together. So thank you. Thanks to him. And Nicoletta talking about where can people find you where if someone wants to volunteer, if someone wants to donate, where can they can they reach out to you?

Yes.

So maybe you could afterwards show our webpage address. which is sempreberna.ch. So there is everything on it. They can send an email and say I want to volunteer or I want to pass by. I want to know what you're doing. Unfortunately, the webpage is only in German because we didn't have the funds to translate and we didn't also we didn't have the

I will include that. Yep, will 100 % do that.

energy to translate and since we are stationed in Bern we thought okay we start in German and people do find us. People do find us.

Mm-hmm. Yep.

So that's another way that somebody could help. If you want to volunteer some time and you have a project, you can help with the web page, translating, creating an English, Italian, another version of that. there and I think that that's something important to share. There's so many ways to volunteer. I'm sure you can use help in lots of different directions. So.

Yes.

I could use help in managing my Instagram because the younger people they make fun of me, say, you're a boomer, you can't manage your Instagram, it doesn't work like that. So there I would be very, very eager to, not that someone does it for me, but to learn how to do it.

Social media, yeah.

Yeah, to support, yeah, to teach you. So there's another way. if you're sparked by the idea of the Semper Verna, there are lots of ways that you can support and Nicoleta is happy to welcome you with open arms. So whatever you want to do. So I will definitely include the website. And anyway, there's Translate now too. So Google can translate a website too.

Yes.

Absolutely.

if they need to read it in English or another language.

So Nicoletta, thank you so much. know, this this talk has been so inspiring because you've built something that is exactly what I what I want to share more of in this season of Be the Ripple Podcast. You've created a space where someone can be listened to and where somebody feels less alone and somebody gets guidance when they potentially feel at an end and they don't know where to turn.

And I think that that's so incredible. And I really love that you and your group of volunteers are willing to continue to help, even though you don't know what the outcome is. You don't see the successes always. Some you do, some you don't, but you keep going. And that you don't track data, that you help people without needing all of that, and that you've found a gap that needs to be filled is such a wonderful thing,

that you're really living your values and what you believe in. So thank you very much. And anyone who wants to help, you'll see the website below. And I look forward to you. And we're even thinking about doing something together too with myself and maybe a book reading or to do something else within the cafe to try to increase awareness and yeah, to get.

more people supported and listened to. So thanks very much for listening and reach out to Nicoletta. She looks forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.