In the Ain department of France, the La Rênoverie association was established in 2019 in Ambérieu en Bugey by Rémi Mourier, a concerned citizen with an interest in social inclusion and solidarity initiatives. The goal of the association is to assist those who are being shut out of the workforce with their social reintegration by providing them with jobs such as repairing goods to be sold at its charity store.

Rémi lives next door to Catherine Vanel, a project manager at Lee Sormea who also volunteers for the organization. Her thought was to contact the Fondation VINCI pour la Cité, which provides funding to organizations that assist underprivileged individuals in their social and professional inclusion. Catherine choose to work with the foundation to sponsor the La Rênoverie association. She then submitted a financial request for the RénovMobile project, which the foundation’s selection committee approved in October 2023.

“It’s fantastic that the foundation was able to support the association, because it has allowed us to make this cherished project a reality,” says Catherine. “A lot of people work with La Rênoverie, from supervisors to social workers to volunteers, and it’s wonderful to be able to continue the adventure with the mobile shop. The association is important for helping vulnerable people back into employment in a supportive environment. Its volunteers also have time to reflect and move forward in their professional and personal lives.”