In May of this year, ICMIF member La Segunda Seguros (Argentina) joined forces with the cooperative supermarket business Cooperativa Obrera to deal with the ongoing effects of the storm that had previously hit the port city of Bahía Blanca in March 2025.
Reports at the time of the storm said Bahía Blanca had effectively been ‘destroyed’ by the massive rainstorm during which it was reported that a year’s worth of rain fell in a matter of a few hours. There were 13 people killed and hundreds were evacuated.
In May, Bahía Blanca still bore the traces of the storm that hit its streets and communities in March. Although time had passed, the consequences were still part of the daily landscape for many families. In the face of this reality, La Segunda says a serene but powerful force emerged: that of organised solidarity.
In a time where climate emergencies are becoming more frequent, La Segunda Seguros demonstrated its commitment to the area affected through a strategic alliance with the historic Cooperativa Obrera (Bahía Blanca Workers’ Cooperative), joining forces to provide help to the community where it was most needed.
The initiative was not an isolated act, La Segunda says it was the genuine expression of the cooperative model that demonstrates its real value when the situation demands it. Concrete actions took place that included key donations of items such as clothing, food, furniture, lighting, computers and medical supplies that were given to schools, kindergartens, police stations, health centres and social organisations.
A total of more than 1,800 kilos of supplies was donated. In addition, members of the La Segunda team organised an internal volunteer campaign where staff were asked to donate anything they could including non-perishable food, clothing and footwear.
“No one is saved alone. The response was immediate because there was a network behind it that worked with purpose,” said Gricel Di Bert, the insurer’s sustainability spokesperson, who said: “This type of organic, coordinated actions are born from our cooperative roots and are strengthened in spaces such as the Cooperar Council [Cooperative Confederation of the Argentine Republic (COOPERAR)], where working together as cooperatives is part of our DNA.”
The aim of the action taken by La Segunda and the cooperative supermarket business Cooperativa Obrera was to bring together their respective strengths, to share their knowledge and to take care of people. It wasn’t just an act of help, it was a statement of principles. Because, says La Segunda, when what is important is at risk, to act is a duty, but doing it as a collective is a privilege and that thanks to the work to support the community of Bahía Blanca, Argentine cooperativism continues to tread a solid, silent and transformative path.
