Organizations for solidarity and mutual aid Lorraine

Born in 2009 in the Netherlands, Repair Café is exported everywhere: in Nancy, their number grows every year! This is logical, as the concept is simple, effective and good for the planet! During regular workshops, volunteer handymen repair your everyday objects that are a little worn, such as that vacuum cleaner that no longer vacuums or your toaster that no longer toasts anything! A good reflex that can make a difference in our overconsumption habits.

It's hard to imagine your child being sick... we love them so much that the idea makes us nauseous. Alas! life is made of hazards that we cannot control. The association Pédiatrie Enchantée offers a bubble filled with beauty and joy to give to hospitalized children. They come to put a little culture through music, singing, drawing and writing. The children marvel, laugh, have fun, play and forget for a moment the difficulties they are going through. The toddlers are lulled by the harp, the older ones have a taste workshop. Each child finds joy and comfort. An association that brightens hearts with accuracy!

Founded in 1985, on the initiative of Coluche, the Restaurants du Coeur - Les Relais du Coeur by its official name - have never stopped working, helping and providing voluntary assistance to the most disadvantaged, particularly in the food sector. Thanks to the generosity of the public and the work of our volunteers, everyone contributes in their own way to helping the most disadvantaged get by... Not just in winter, as in the past, but all year round! The Colmar branch of Restos du Coeur distributes meal baskets for people to cook at home, as well as a resto Bébés du Coeur, a place for babies aged 0 to 12 months to receive material aid (clothes, diapers and childcare and hygiene products). Other initiatives include a weekly knitting workshop and, more recently, access to a hairdressing salon, enabling the most underprivileged to regain their self-confidence with a haircut, a change that facilitates professional reintegration. The Restos du Coeur's missions are expanding, and kind-hearted souls can get involved as volunteers or make a donation. Call the Restos du Coeur center in Colmar or visit the website!

Founded in Colmar in 1973, the Hope Association is a humanitarian action movement and a reflection group to address the disastrous effects of the social divide that penalizes the most disadvantaged. It provides assistance to vulnerable people by enabling them to take or regain a full place within the social body. Reception, hosting and support structures and judicial services were established. For example, a hundred men and women are permanently housed (the association has homes in Colmar, an accommodation center in Volgelshiem, a night shelter and a place of life: the Ferme de la Clausmatt). Its housing service allows for more than 200 people to stay. Workshops to promote social integration are also offered (carpentry, mechanics, forestry work and green spaces, laundry, sorting and upgrading used objects…). If you have a little free time and want to help others, don't hesitate to volunteer!

Caritas's mission is to put an end to poverty and commit itself to dignity and solidarity on behalf of vulnerable people. Until June, permanent work on the Arc-en-Ciel street forces staff to welcome you to Rue de Léon, behind the court of instance. Personalized hospitality and coaching, individual meeting time, possible financial assistance, help in finding jobs… The entire team - permanent and voluntary - is there to help and support those in need.

The Departmental Archives holds wealth! Documents of the Old Regime that were confiscated during the Revolution, the administrative archives, the press and the books of local history. All these documents represent no less than 18 linear km of documents, from the th century to the present. A treasure trove of priceless lorrain heritage that the public can consult. The archives department regularly hosts exhibitions, the programme of which is available at the tourist office.

Even though it is not possible to quote all the sports activities proposed in Lorraine, we cannot overlook an activity which is continuing to grow and which is perfect for tourism, in other words: golf. Lorraine has no fewer than fifteen golf courses, two of which have only 9 holes. Distributed throughout the territory, it can be noted that the Moselle alone benefits from almost half of these facilities. For some years there has been a network of the name Holigreen, with a unique map giving access to 6 golf courses in eastern France, three of them in Lorraine, Faulquemont, Metz Technopôle and Nancy Pulnoy. Bitche, Troyes East Forest and Châlons-en-Champagne complete the network. The pleasures of sports performance and those of the eyes are varied.

Association Le Pays-du-Chalot. This small wooden building, resembling a hut, was a dependence on the Vosgian farm. Small, with wooden walls and walls and its lava roof, the chalk is typical of the ajolais landscape and the neighboring department of the Vosges, Haute-Saône. These dependencies are spread over 6 communes: Val-d 'Ajol, the Girmont-Val-d' Ajol, Plumbers-les-Bains, Fougerolles, Saint-Bresson and Radon-et-Chapendu. They used to store grain, flour, bread or meats. The fruit was also fermented to make it alcohol. In 1994, the association of the country of Chalot was born, precisely to preserve this unique heritage which slowly disappeared. Today, there are only a few dozen of these specimens left. The oldest date of 1618, but archives of 1575 already mention this small building. And since the birth of this dynamic association, a real renovation work, but also awareness, has been made to the public to make this part of our history known. It is possible to see one in the Girmont-Val-d 'Ajol, which in the summer installs its tourist house and in Ruaux (Deviation of Plumbers) where Marie-Noëlle Bresson, guide for the commune, makes it discover his own chalk to tourists. They will be able to discover local products and crafts.

The LPO 54, which has nearly 860 members, is an association for the protection of nature created by the national President Alain Bougrain-Dubourg. It is concerned with birds and the ecosystems on which they depend, in particular the fauna and flora associated with them and more globally with biodiversity. All year round, it organizes birdwatching discovery or improvement outings for schools and the general public, and also carries out bird-friendly projects (nature garden). The program of activities is available on the website.

Born in 1978 thanks to Jean-Louis Choisel, arborist and amateur pomologue, this association fights for the preservation of the endangered regional fruit varieties. It has two aims: make knowledge of traditional fruits and then educate the consumer through simple ecological principles, and conduct actions to the general public (exhibitions, publishing brochures and a quarterly newsletter…). To date, it has 60 regional groups and nearly 7 000 people throughout France.

ALSACE NATURE has been campaigning for environmental protection in Alsace for almost 60 years. With 140 associations and 2,000 members, it represents a veritable regional ecological force. Its action is deployed on several fronts: raising awareness through events, nature outings and training courses, and defending environmental issues with local elected representatives. Thanks to its expertise and local roots, ALSACE NATURE has established itself as a key player on the Alsatian ecological scene, dedicated to a greater appreciation of nature.

The purpose of this organization is to assist and assist people in great difficulty. The management of social actions proposes many services to help the most disadvantaged: integration, urban renovation project, access to housing (host home, emergency accommodation), reception of travellers, prevention, animations, social centres, neighbourhood group, support for associations.

The Ensemble association aims to fight against loneliness, malaise and psychological disorders, through a number of activities and reception and listening structures: supported housing, artistic workshops, access to care, boarding houses and residences, home help and support for acts of daily life, outings and collective projects or mutual aid groups. Among them is the "refuge" Les Amarres, which serves as a gateway for information on other structures and as a place for exchanges.

Colibris is a European movement (Belgium and Switzerland) which is part of an ecological and human approach inspired by Pierre Rabhi. The local branch Colibris 54 aims to promote meetings, exchanges and mutual aid between its members and sympathizers around the preservation and respect of nature and through many initiatives, such as organic market gardening, participation in events in the Greater Nancy area, conferences, debates and workshops. An association that already gathers more than 800 members in Nancy alone!

The concept of solidarity fridges was created in Paris. The objective is to provide self-service refrigerators in large cities to allow food donations. Restaurateurs or local residents can thus make leftovers or unsold ones available in the area. This food can be taken free of charge by homeless people, students or large families who are struggling to make ends meet. A great idea that should be deployed in other cities such as Nancy. The big advantage of this beautiful project? Solidarity towards people in need and a second life for food.

Pep57 works to defend the right to education, culture and leisure for all. Numerous activities are proposed such as schooling support with reading and language workshops, after-school care, education and family with the parents' break and in the field of early childhood thanks to the nursery assistant relay. The association also offers educational and pedagogical stays, so children can participate in discovery classes at the sea, in the mountains, in the city or in the countryside. Training courses are also offered. An association which does not lack pep's so that finally each child wears the smile of success...

APRP67 is an association dedicated to the welfare and protection of parrots. It helps private individuals comply with new legislation concerning the keeping of psittacines. Its shelter takes in and re-homes abandoned birds, under the responsibility of specialist Pascale Gangloff. Although the shelter is not open to the public, the association can be contacted by e-mail or by telephone via its website. Thanks to the commitment and expertise of its members, APRP67 plays a valuable role in the protection of these sensitive animals.

The LPO is the first point of contact if you find an injured or sick bird in town, but it is also a very active association. Thanks to its volunteer members, the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux Alsace offers you a very rich agenda of events to discover the poultry fauna of our region. For example, you can go and observe in the Ried, take photo courses or courses to monitor and count species in your garden, attend conferences, help wildlife... Books are regularly published.

Born in 2004, biobernai, the organic agriculture fair in Alsace is organized by Alsace Bio, with the support of private and institutional partners, in the user-friendly spirit of a large open-air market at the feet of the ramparts of Obernai (Alsace/Bas-Rhin). The event invites visitors to familiarize themselves with the universe and «organic culture», to meet and exchange with the actors of the sector, from the producer to the distributor, craftsmen to the organizations, associations and institutions working to defend and make the voice of this fast growing mode of consumption more and more popular by consumers. A vector of a different theme each year, highlighting emerging trends of society and consumption, biobernai also embodies the humanistic values of cooperation, sharing, solidarity, equity and ethics giving it a special and appealing image to an enlightened audience, more and more in the way of the editions. Since its launch, the event has welcomed over 250,000 visitors (since 2015 between 20,000 and 25,000 visitors each year). 260 exhibitors present, + 70 animations (conferences, workshops, animations).

"Because no one should be forced to live on the street, the Restos have made the fight against exclusion a priority For 30 years, this association created by Coluche has been providing food distribution to people in need on a local scale. Reception, advice and guidance, personal assistance, help with homework and literacy, cooking workshops and health prevention are also on the program. The association is constantly looking for volunteers (nearly 925 in Meurthe-et-Moselle). More than one million meals have already been distributed!