If you happen to pass by the Milan store of Cooperativa di Mano in Mano, you might meet Bruce. You don’t notice him at first, but when he speaks, his booming voice and contagious laugh fill the vast space of the store. And Bruce has earned that smile because his story is a novel with some very tough chapters and an ending still to be written.

At thirty, his life is already a bit of a mess: he is under house arrest, a foreigner, without citizenship or residence, and not assigned to any services. During his hours of freedom, he often sees the van for Di Mano in Mano’s removals near Viale Espinasse, close to his home. One day, he decides to try entering the store and ask: is there room for me?

Welcoming is one of the most important values for the Coop, so yes, they answer, there’s a spot for you. The placement managers use their contacts to guide him to the right agency so he can start a work placement with everything in order.

Bruce then climbs aboard that removal van and begins his experience at Di Mano in Mano. And you need to keep up with him! Fast, energetic, enthusiastic. Unfortunately, after a while, a sharp pain starts in his legs, and some tests reveal the need for a fairly invasive surgery.

And Bruce thinks: damn, why me? But the human connection and the work relationship he has established with the Coop come to his aid. He manages to spend his recovery time at home with relative peace, thanks to the financial support he receives. And when he recovers, he is welcomed back to work with a role suited to his full physical recovery: sales assistance.

And that’s exactly where he is now, chatting with two customers, joking with them, and helping them make their choices. For a few hours a day, in the safe space of the store, instead of being the “messed-up Bruce,” he transforms into “Bruce who entertains and directs customers.” Lightened of thoughts and problems, with a job that is redeeming him, Bruce is preparing to write his happy ending.

Just like Bruce. “Just Bruce.”