The campaign revives a popular saying to focus attention on gratitude that is not always expressed. The Rey Ardid Foundation wants to highlight the families who care for older or dependent people, professionals in the sector and those who volunteer their time. These professionals include nursing assistants, nurses, physiotherapists, therapists, doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, educators, employment advisers and support and services staff. The initiative is also reaching social media, where the organization is encouraging citizens to share messages of recognition with the hashtag #GraciasPorCuidar.
A CAMPAIGN TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO CARE
The Rey Ardid Foundation is aligning its brand campaign with Caregiver Day. The organization considers itself a caregiving organization, as much of its work focuses on caring for and supporting older people, people with mental health problems, young people who have left the mainstream education system, job seekers and families in vulnerable situations.
The initiative seeks to recognize the work of those who care for other people, both within families and professionally.
The initiative follows on from last year’s campaign, titled “The Power of a Hug,” through which the Foundation displayed portraits in Zaragoza of 12 pairs made up of caregivers and the people they cared for. This year, the campaign expands its reach and is addressed to society as a whole.
REY ARDID FOUNDATION: 35 YEARS OF WORK IN ARAGON
The Rey Ardid Foundation’s history began in 1991 with the management of the Professor Rey Ardid Medium-Stay Unit, a resource for people with severe mental disorders. The organization currently has 1,874 professionals and 183 volunteers, and during 2025 it provided services to 9,941 people in Aragon and La Rioja through five areas of activity: older people, mental health, employment and training, social enterprises, and children and young people.
The Foundation manages nearly 30 facilities for older people, including residential and day care centers, and also provides home care and support for families. In 2025, it added the municipal residence in Altorricón, the Torre Medina residence in Garrapinillos and the Arcoíris residence in Valderrobres to its network. In the mental health field, it supports 458 people with severe mental disorders in residential facilities, supported housing and day care centers in Zaragoza and Calatayud. It also runs the Comprehensive Care Center, which opened in October 2025 and provides psychological care and personalized support to people of all ages.
Its talks in schools and secondary schools reached more than 800 teenagers during 2025, while the Emotionally Healthy Schools project works with teachers, families and students. In addition, since 2026 it has operated a corporate wellbeing program that enables companies to outsource or subcontract wellbeing and emotional health services for their employees, with psychology and psychiatry professionals and options with or without employee co-payments. Its services include individualized psychosocial care, awareness-raising activities and team-building initiatives for teams at Caserón Baruca, in the Pineta Valley.
Training and employment are also part of the Rey Ardid Foundation’s work. Its employment agencies helped 736 people find work in 2025 and, since its beginnings, the organization has trained more than 15,000 students. Through its special employment centers and work-integration companies, it provides industrial laundry, cleaning, gardening, consultancy and administrative management, concierge and floristry services, among others, creating jobs for people with disabilities or at risk of social exclusion. In the children and young people’s area, the Foundation has spent 25 years supporting vulnerable children and families, as well as young people who have left the mainstream education system, offering them training to resume their studies or enter the labor market.
The Rey Ardid Foundation’s work also includes programs to combat unwanted loneliness among older people. One-quarter of its facilities are located in municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. In the field of social innovation, the organization has promoted 123 projects in collaboration with more than 50 organizations. The Foundation also extends its commitment to care to its own employees. To this end, it offers its staff training, support and psychological care and physiotherapy services.
