Haier Europe donates 26 washing machines to Spanish Residential Inclusion Centers
Haier Europe advances in its social purpose of adding value and leaving a mark with actions that contribute to society. Thus, we have provided 26 Candy washing machines, 16 of them with 10 kilograms of capacity and 10 of them with 8, to three Residential Inclusion Centers (CRI) of Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona, a non-profit organization that serves people at risk of social exclusion to provide support in social and labor reintegration, as well as to work on other aspects such as mental and physical health or the recovery of family ties.
In an effort to strengthen the autonomy and respect for the privacy of people housed in residential inclusion centers, the donation of Candy brand laundry units aims to transform the way in which residents wash their clothes, moving from a model in which the organization bundles and sends clothes to an industrial laundry, to one that fosters independence and dignity, allowing each person to do their laundry in a domestic washing machine.
The 26 units will serve three residential inclusion centers, one of them exclusively for homeless women known as La Llavor. This residence, recognized as the first centre of its kind in the city of Barcelona, is managed by Sant Joan de Déu with the collaboration of the Ared Foundation and mainly accommodates single elderly women in a situation of social and residential exclusion, without sources of income or with insufficient purchasing power to access housing. On the other hand, the other two residential centers accommodate both men and women and provide them with individual housing, as well as social support to help them in their reintegration process. Between the three residential inclusion centers, more than 300 people were served in 2022.
Therefore, the donation of these washing machines is a step towards the empowerment of people at risk of exclusion. By providing them with the necessary means to take care of their clothes and belongings autonomously, their self-esteem is boosted, and they are given the opportunity to acquire practical skills that will be useful in their process of reintegration into society.
As a result, the initiative carried out between Candy and Sant Joan de Déu is a good example of how collaboration between the private sector and non-profit social organizations can generate a transformative impact on the lives of those people with more difficulties to strengthen their adaptation and promote their personal growth.
Aitziber Aretxaga, Human Resources Director of Haier Smart Home Iberia, said: “We are committed to promoting social inclusion and respect for the dignity of all people, especially those who face situations of risk of exclusion. In this sense, the donation of these 26 washing machines to Sant Joan de Déu centres reflects our commitment to empowering these people and promoting their autonomy by giving them the possibility to perform this task independently and preserving their privacy.”
