BELGIUM
Enchanté is a citizens' initiative founded in Ghent
in January 2018.
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It connects socially excluded people with businesses and citizens so that they can be included in the social structure of daily life in their neigborhood.
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The Belgian network brings together shopkeepers and citizens who offer small services to those in need. From a glass of water to a cup of coffee, from a haircut at a hairdresser's to a place to rest for a while.
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Enchanté and its network of 68 shops work together to create a more inclusive community.
BELGIUM (Brussels)
Commerçants du Coeur – Hartelijke Handelaars (‘Shopkeepers with a heart’) is a Brussels-based network of shopkeepers who open their doors to people who are living on the street.
Having started out in 2020 with nine businesses in a district of the City of Brussels, Commerçants du Coeur – Hartelijke Handelaars hopes to extend the initiative to other parts of town and to other volunteers and organisations willing to support it.
USA
The Pledge was the first network to open outside of France. It was launched by Devin as one project of the nonprofit Be:Seattle.
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It is a network of businesses offering anything that can help their homeless neighbours, because "small gestures make big impacts".
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So far, 46 businesses have taken The Pledge offering 18 different services.
Neighbours are also welcome to take part of the Pledge by introducing new businesses or even new cities.
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The Pledge is in Seattle, Tacoma and soon will be in Portland and New-York.
FRANCE
Le Carillon was the first network of The Chime. It was founded in November 2015 in the 11th district of Paris by Louis-Xavier Leca, a young social entrepreneur.
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Le Carillon now exists in 14 french cities and counts with around a 1000 businesses who offer free services and/or products to people living in precarious conditions. These products, often a meal or a hot drink, can be prepaid by clients or by the shopkeeper.
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The network Le Carillon is part of the La Cloche organisation which aims at preventing social exclusion of homeless people. This is possible by changing the way these people are perceived and how they perceive themselves.
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Le Carillon chimes with an inclusive approach, that each person is encouraged to take part in the project no matter their background. For them, an essential factor to social inclusion is that beneficiaries can get involved in the formation of social bonds. Among Le Carillon's volunteers some of them have experienced or are currently experiencing life in the street. These volunteers help organise the monthly events where everyone is welcome !
CZECH REPUBLIC (Prague)
Místní místním (Locals for locals) is a non-profit organization founded in 2019 in Prague, Czech Republic. The solidarity network of Místní místním is connecting socially friendly places, cafés and shopkeepers that decide to offer small services for free to people without homes and anyone in need.
The NGO is trying to create opportunities and social ties between people in need and their surroundings.
Místní místním has so far connected 16 cafés, shops and restaurants - part of the network are also cultural centres, a theatre or a bookstore. They offer diffferent types of small services like water, access to the toilet, charging a phone, hot water etc. without having to buy anything. The network also offers vouchers for coffee, meals, or theater tickets for someone who otherwise would not be able to afford it. To increase the impact of the network, Místní místním organizes social events and presentations in both Czech and English.
Mistni Mistnim's team includes people who have experienced homelessnes and also works with musicians and artists without home. Through music and art events, the NGO opens the topic of homelessness for the general public.
Small actions can make big impacts.
UNITED KINGDOMS (London)
ReConnect was founded in 2019 in London with the idea of changing the way homeless people are perceived and making them more visible.
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Local residents, passers-by, businesses and homeless people can reconnect by using a simple service exchange. That is, through a network of partners, homeless people can receive goods and simple services going from clothes, grooming and hygiene to food, water and Wi-Fi. A system of vouchers also allows locals and passers-by to help people in-need to access different services.
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One of the network's core values is for the integration of homeless people. 2 of the 9 volunteers have or are still experiencing homelessness.
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8 shops (Reconnectors) have decided to join the network and tackle social exclusion in London.
Reconnect is London based for now, but is willing to spread out in the country in a near future.
SPAIN (Madrid)
NEXOS is an initiative of the Solidarios association which aims to create a more charitable community that all people can feel a part of.
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The NEXOS community generates a network of businesses that offer small services to people that find themselves in a situation of social exclusion or solitude.
Each business decides what small services to offer, for exemple, free access to a toilet in a bar, internet connection in a library or a first aid kit in a pharmacy. These are gestures that have almost no cost to the business, but contribute to a more human coexistence in these areas.
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NEXOS network is already implemented in Madrid in the areas of Chamberi and Argüelles, and is extending to other neighborhoods.
CANADA (Montréal)
L’oranger is part of Plein milieu organization, created in 1993, which aims to build trusting relationships with people who use drugs, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, as well as with young people, with a view to harm reduction, information and prevention.​​
L’Oranger is a network located in the Plateau Mont-Royal, which responds to the issues of homelessness and cohabitation, by building bridges between all the actors in the community.
This network relies on dialogue, compromise and understanding of others, to reverse disaffection and foster a positive relationship between businenesses and people experiencing homelessness.
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To date, 5 businesses have joined the network and offer services and products to homeless people. The network also brings together residents, homeless people and mediators from Plein Milieu.
