Society
AGENCE DU DON EN NATURE
Agence du Don en Nature aims to provide an effective, powerful solution for waste, while fighting vulnerability. This non-profit organisation collects unsold non-food goods (hygiene, clothing, household goods, etc.) from around one hundred responsible companies and distributes them among France’s populations in need via a digital logistics platform.
In 2020, ADN (Agence du Don en Nature) continued to grow and now works with more than 200 companies (industrial manufacturers and distributors) and 1,000 partner associations.
The fight against non-food waste and exclusion gained new ground this year with the promulgation of the AGEC law, which encourages the donation of unsold goods by companies to non-profit associations.
In this context, and in support of the acceleration of its activities, ADN opened its first training warehouse in the Hauts-de-France region. This initiative offered practical, immediate solutions to the massive sudden increase in demand for everyday goods from associations severely impacted by the health crisis. The training warehouse, an innovative logistics platform, also extends the social purpose of ADN by offering on-site training in the logistics sector for dozens of apprentices.
2020 also saw a number of high impact operations among the most vulnerable populations: Rentrée Solidaire distributed 330,000 school supplies to children to take some of the stress out of going back to school; the #HygienePourToutes operation, launched in October with the support of the Île-de-France region and the French ministry of solidarity and health, distributed 1,300,000 feminine hygiene products.
For more information, see the Agence du Don en Nature website
SIMON DE CYRÈNE
In early 2021, Bessé became a partner of the Simon de Cyrène association and, in particular, three shared houses in Nantes that opened in January 2019.
The charity offers everyone a chance to find their way in life and personal fulfilment, based on the belief that the meaning of life lies in relationships with other people. A society is as strong as the space it makes for its most vulnerable members. People with disabilities add a human dimension to society. They encourage us to establish relationships based on trust, solidarity and mutual assistance. No-one is excluded from such relationships, creating an inclusive, fraternal society.
Three houses have been built in “La Civelière” in southern Nantes. They are designed to house a total of 24 residents with disabilities and 17 carers. In these shared houses, people who have suffered serious accidents seeking to improve their social relations, can find help to build a new life plan and encouragement to develop their autonomy in everyday life. The carers, most of whom are young, develop their skills and learn through sharing that welcoming vulnerability makes the world a better, more human place.
60 000 REBONDS
Bessé is partner of 60 000 Rebonds, a non-profit organisation that helps entrepreneurs to overcome their isolation after a bankruptcy and encourages and assists them to find a new professional project.
60 000 Rebonds helps entrepreneurs in 38 cities. Supported by volunteers and professionals, the entrepreneurs begin to rebuild their personal foundations, understand the reasons for the bankruptcy and develop a new professional project, either as an employee or as an entrepreneur.
In the Grand-Ouest region, some 115 entrepreneurs were supported by 200 volunteers in 2020. The health crisis forced the association to switch to digital methods in 2020. The usual events did not take place but one date, in collaboration with Medef and BNP, brought together around a hundred entrepreneurs for the Vendée Globe village, to promote the activities of the association and help change the participants’ attitudes towards failure.
SNSM
SNSM plays an important role in marine safety with its three main missions: save, train and prevent.
The French sea rescue services remained operational throughout 2020 in both mainland and overseas territories, ready to act whenever necessary. Although their main mission is to protect human life at sea, their first aid skills are also important on dry land. The rescue teams thus joined in the efforts to fight Covid-19 by helping nurses, emergency responders, vulnerable populations and, generally speaking, our fellow citizens.
The health crisis also affected the calendar of the “Nouvelle Flotte” programme: remote work meetings, interruption of production activities at the construction site and among its suppliers; the SNSM programme’s general contractor and team had to adapt to the restrictions imposed. The first ship of the new fleet is expected to be finalised in May 2021.
