“Bread of Hope” (Pain de l’espoir) is an NGO run by several volunteers that aims at fighting against food waste by recovering bread from public catering services, bakeries and private citizens.
Context
In the 80s, Bernadette Redal from Montpellier, who volunteered for Emergency International Action (Action d’Urgence Internationale) since 1975, launched a cry of revolt: "If we only picked up the bread thrown in our garbage cans, we could do more! "
The idea was to fight against food waste and support the victims from natural disasters. Bread of Hope was officially set up on June 19th, 1985 in Montpellier.
Project
Bread of Hope was created in 1985 in Montpellier to fight against the waste of bread. The leftover bread is collected from local authorities, bakers and individuals, then loaded into two trucks. However, half of the whole amount of leftover bread comes from the “Bread of Gold” bakery, local traditional bakeries, universities, primary and secondary schools catering services, and three solidarity organizations.
After being dried, the bread is packed in different bags weighing 15 kilograms overall. Then, the bread is sold and delivered to thirty customers, including professional breeders taking care of pigs, rabbits and goats, and amateurs. Bread of Hope is estimated to sell an average of 30 tons of dry bread per year, whose profit will be given to victims of natural disasters.
Implementation: Bread of Hope is fully animated by volunteers. At Bread of Hope, a dozen of disabled adults along with their educators, participate to the drying process of leftover bread, which allows them to join the volunteer team, be helpful and engage in new relationships.
Bread of Hope also welcomes people with disabilities who are autonomous and do not need any help to work.
Bread of Hope has been able to create two outlets that are listed here as follows:
- to Lodève at the parking lot of “POINT VERT” gardening shop every 1st Tuesday of the month, from 2 pm to 3 pm;
- in Bédarieux at the “PÉRIS” stores.
Price: 6 € each, 5 € each up to 20 bags at purchasing.
This association accounts for about 30 volunteers in the collecting process and administration department.
Means : The municipality of Montpellier is partner with Bread of Hope. Since 2018, many young people performed their civic service at Bread of Hope and took on a multitude of tasks to help in the collection, processing and storage process of bread.
Here is a list of second-hand items used to finalize the three processes:
- Tables to dry the bread consist of old metal mesh base bed frame which has been adapted to one made of wood;
- Plastic crates to dry the bread collected from local stores;
- Bread packaging bags provided by the “Bibal” coffee shops;
- Strings recovered by trashed cans;
- Iron for bread packaging made by a volunteer.
Results: 1500 tons of dried bread collected and sold since this association was set up. Around 231000€ was donated to victims of natural disasters, in particular:
- earthquakes in Egypt, Salvador, Nepal;
- cyclones in Haiti, Martinique, Sri Lanka;
- floods in Hérault (Montpellier, Lattes), Var (La Londe les Maures), and Gard (Saint Laurent the Miner).
The Little Extra
Once the costs have been deducted (gas, insurance, etc.), the profits (8000 to 9000 €) are given to either associations providing help to populations shattered by natural disasters (including to International Emergency Action) or direct victims through the City Centers of Social Action.
What they offer/what the need
Service offered: sale of bags of hard bread.
Needs: more volunteers are needed for bread collection, processing and delivery.
Written by Clémence Guignard, LFC volunteer - April 2019.
Last modification : 29 Mar 2020.
Bread of Hope
Bread of Hope (Pain de l'Espoir) is an NGO led by volunteers whose main objective is to fight against waste by reusing unsold bread.