Every September, the Foundation invites employee volunteers to participate in its Solidarity and Housing Day. Thanks to their dedication, we are seeing an increasing number of projects: 20 community service initiatives took place on September 20, both in France and abroad.
Against a backdrop of rising poverty and inequality, the number of people living in substandard housing is growing.
According to the Abbé Pierre Foundation’s 29th report on the state of substandard housing, 4.2 million people are living in substandard housing or lack their own home. In addition to these most severe cases, 12.1 million people are affected to varying degrees by the housing crisis.
Of the 1,098,000 people without their own housing, an estimated 330,000 are homeless, whether they are living in general shelters, asylum seeker reception centers (CADA), hotels, makeshift shelters, or on the streets.
In this context, Solidarity and Housing Day gives organizations the opportunity to carry out minor renovations or improvements to their facilities that provide shelter for people in need.
This event brings together three forms of corporate philanthropy: financial support, with the Onet Foundation covering the cost of supplies; in-kind donations, with cleaning supplies donated by agencies in the Onet network; and pro bono services, through the involvement of the group’s employees throughout the day.
Once again this year, thanks to the efforts of project leaders, 20 organizations were supported in France and abroad, enabling nearly 5,000 people receiving assistance to benefit from the work.
In a friendly and supportive atmosphere, teams of volunteers set to work meeting the needs of local organizations: painting, professional cleaning of floors and windows, assembling furniture, creating vegetable gardens, sorting donations, and more.
Once again this year, the strength of our collective effort has brought about a real “before-and-after” transformation within each of our facilities, much to the delight of the people we serve.
