Four prizes for the Social and Solidarity Economy

For the thirteenth edition of the Grands Prix de la finance solidaire organized by The world and FAIR, Tuesday November 8, in Lille, with the support of the town hall and the regional channel Wéo, four prizes were awarded. The “solidarity savings prize” highlights a structure of the social and solidarity economy, the “France prize” distinguishes a structure carrying out an activity with strong social or environmental utility, the “coup de coeur prize” is awarded at the end of a vote by Internet users for an establishment whose activity is rooted in the economic and social fabric of Hauts-de-France. As for the “international prize”, it is allocated to a structure based abroad. Each winner receives a grant of 4,000 euros, thanks to the support of our partners: MAIF, France Active, Mirova, Banque des Territoires, Caisses d’Epargne and the French Development Agency.

France price

What happens to pastries presented in hotel buffets when they are not consumed by customers? They are often thrown away, as noted by a night watchman, who ended up co-founding Solidarity Hotels. This association, created in 2018, acts to revalorize hotel waste for the benefit of people in a situation of economic or social exclusion.

Today, the association collects, in around sixty Parisian hotels and around ten establishments in Rennes, not only pain au chocolat and other croissants, but also hygiene products, sheets, furniture, mattresses… Three-star hotels and palaces, such as the Plaza Athénée or the Hôtel Meurice, are among those who give the most regularly. The Solidarity Hotels have thus just recovered around forty mattresses from this luxurious establishment on rue de Rivoli (Paris).

All these products are then redistributed in emergency shelters, in about twenty charities, or directly to homeless people, isolated women, etc. Along with the sheets, the association also manufactures washable cotton kits which are either given to those who need them or sold. The association thus employs people who are far from employment or have a disability. In 2021, 500 pastries, and above all 28,000 hygiene products and 24 tonnes of furniture were thus redistributed to more than 21,000 people in Ile-de-France. Requested by many establishments, Les Hôtels solidaires hope to set up a collection system in more cities.

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