At a Glance
Location: Poland
Impact Areas: Sustainable Income
People Supported:
Marginalized Individuals, Rural
Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2021
Overview
Arte Social Cooperative provides comprehensive psychological, social, and professional support for marginalized communities, especially people who are homeless, have been incarcerated, or struggle with problematic drug use.
In addition to offering food and shelter, Arte provides people who face social exclusion with long-term therapy, supporting each person to rebuild their interpersonal connections, discover or redevelop their professional and personal interests, and ultimately pursue their desired careers.
The social enterprise hires interns to work in its main lines of business - construction, cleaning, and gardening, as a way to help people to gain work experience and hone their professional skills. To accommodate the career needs of each individual, Arte also organizes workshops on job searching and provides tailored vocational training.
Arte’s internship helps participants to build up the confidence to pursue a stable career and improve job satisfaction. Upon completing the internship, participants have the opportunity to work in the cooperative or search for a job. To date, the cooperative has hired 85 of its own program graduates.
Results & Impact
70+
people given homes
59
decent jobs created
85
underserved individuals trained and hired
“Our goal is to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion. We provide employment, decent education, access to medical care improving health, and a sense of security. We help people in need, motivate them to overcome the crisis, and encourage them to change their lifestyles.
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NESsT Investment
NESsT’s investment will support Arte to launch its new business -- multiple shops based around the region of the Lower Silesia, that offer basic needs products at affordable prices. The new social franchise will be dedicated to providing quality job opportunities for excluded women. Arte aims to hire women to manage each shop and reorganize its shelter to better accommodate women residents.
With NESsT’s investment, Arte will be able to purchase inventory and equipment and cover operational costs for its first social shop. NESsT will also advise Arte on its expansion strategies for its new social franchise and assist Arte to develop and implement impact tracking with an emphasis on sustainable waste management and gender equity.
