A Day to Remember – Volunteer Action at Our DIP lab Creating Inclusive Workplaces and the First Integrative Workshop in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
This volunteer action should be an inspiration to everyone around us.
We invite individuals and organisations to join our future volunteer actions. Let this wonderful day be a model for all of us, because each of us can contribute to positive change and leave a mark in the community – no matter where we come from, what we know, our age, gender, or faith. For the good of the community and those who need support, all it takes is heart.
This volunteer action was initiated by the chaplain and sailors from a U.S. Navy ship, and it took place in our DIP lab, where we are building inclusive workplaces and creating the first integrative workshop in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
On Friday, 22.8.2025, it was a truly special day for all of us in DIP and DIP lab – our hearts are full, because once again we showed our community that when it comes to supporting others, neither language, nor origin, nor age, nor knowledge matters.
At the chaplain’s initiative, many more sailors wanted to volunteered for the action than could even fit inside our future factory for cosmetic products, where people with disabilities will soon work. Thanks to the support of the U.S. Embassy, we joined community forces with the chaplain and sailors of the U.S. Navy ship and quickly organised this action with great enthusiasm. It immediately became clear that we share the same human values, the same mission – to leave a mark in the community, to show care for people, and to give back.
Together, we organised a major volunteer action in our new production space – the small factory we are preparing for the employment of persons with disabilities. The sailors and representatives of the U.S. Embassy helped us with the final works to get the space ready for production. Their energy, commitment, and goodwill made an incredible difference, and we are deeply grateful.
In small groups, together with our members and workers (persons with disabilities), the sailors painted walls, restored old doors, assembled kitchen units and a wardrobe for the accessible sanitary space, built shelving for our future shop, washed the exterior façade… and carried out many small but important tasks that would otherwise take us much more time and money to finish on our own.
Their support is not only visible in the painted walls and assembled shelves, but also in the joy of our members, who knew that these brave sailors worked on these tasks especially for them and for all of us.
The action also involved our workers employed in DIP lab, professional staff of DIP, and users of our social services – including those attending day care and psychosocial support programs that prepare them for independent living and work. All of them are part of the Day Centre “Friends”, where we prepare persons with disabilities for independent life.
We were also honored to receive support from Robert Matić, Deputy Prefect of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, who personally thanked the sailors and expressed strong support for our work. His presence and words of encouragement gave additional meaning to this day. This support is the result of our persistence, professionalism, and many years of dedication to providing social services – as well as the continuous support we have received from the County, from financing social programs in the Day Centre Friends to funding this production facility. For the adaptation of the space to the needs of persons with disabilities, the County allocated funds from its Entrepreneurship Incentive Program for 2025.
Our Integrative Social Enterprise DIP lab
We are now in the final phase of preparing our integrative workshop – social enterprise, a small factory for producing liquid hand soap, shower gel, and other cosmetic products, where persons with disabilities will be employed. Much has already been achieved, and in the coming weeks our machines will arrive. The final preparations are underway, and we expect to start production in October 2025. At the same time, we will submit an application to the Institute for Expertise, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities to obtain official status as an integrative workshop.
So far, we have already employed five persons with disabilities, and by the end of the year we plan to employ at least five more. This will be the first organization of its kind in our county, a significant milestone for inclusive employment and social entrepreneurship.
About DIP lab
DIP lab is a nonprofit social enterprise founded with a clear purpose: to create sustainable and meaningful employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Our mission is to provide an inclusive workplace where people with disabilities are not only employed, but also empowered, respected, and supported in their professional growth. DIP lab combines social impact with high-quality production, proving that business and social responsibility can go hand in hand.
We focus on the production of eco-friendly liquid soap, shower gel, and other cosmetic products, developed in cooperation with the University of Rijeka. To employ persons with disabilities even before the start of production, we have also carried out other activities: sorting biodegradable cutlery, repackaging products for JGL, cleaning offices and buildings, and conducting research and policy analyses. DIP Lab is a natural extension of our long-term work in preparing persons with disabilities for independent living and employment.
Our model is built on three pillars:
- Employment & Inclusion – We currently employ five persons with disabilities and plan to double this number by the end of the year. DIP lab will be the first integrative/protective workshop in our county, setting new standards in inclusive employment.
- Sustainability & Innovation – With the support of academic and professional partners, our products are developed to be safe, sustainable, and competitive on the market – proving that social enterprises can deliver both quality and social impact.
- Community & Impact – Beyond employment, DIP lab raises awareness about the importance of inclusive workplaces, encouraging companies and institutions to join us in building a society where everyone has the right to work and contribute.
By supporting DIP lab, partners and customers not only receive quality products, but also take part in creating a fairer and more inclusive society.
About DIP
DIP (Society for Research and Support) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to social inclusion, education, and empowerment of young people and adults with disabilities, as well as other vulnerable groups.
For more than a decade, DIP has been running educational, cultural, and occupational programs that help individuals develop skills, gain independence, and actively participate in society. DIP Lab was founded as a natural extension of this mission – ensuring that inclusion continues through real employment opportunities.
Together, DIP and DIP lab build bridges between people, communities, and opportunities – proving that inclusion works.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks once again to the U.S. Embassy, the sailors from the U.S. Navy ship, and especially the chaplain who inspired their volunteering. We also thank Deputy Prefect Robert Matić and all our volunteers and supporters. You have shown that even in a completely new environment, we can find common values and build something meaningful together.
Thank you! 💙
We invite all citizens and organisations to join us in our next volunteer actions so we can complete the final works and start production as soon as possible!
