Delphine Vergin

Which charity do you sponsor? How did you hear about it?

“I sponsored the organization ‘L’Olivier des Sages’ located in Lyon. It was Zorah Ferhat, the organization’s director, who took the initiative to contact Isabelle Picard, the On Senior Side Foundation liaison at Damart France. Isabelle knew I was interested in sponsoring an organization, so she explained the project to me and I said yes.”

Why do you support the organization?

I support the organization for several reasons. First of all, as someone who is personally involved in volunteer work with an organization, I am already convinced of the essential role played by the nonprofit sector and its values of solidarity, exchange, and sharing in fostering social bonds—which are indispensable for living together harmoniously. And L’Olivier des Sages is an excellent example of this!

The organization, founded in 2008, runs a social café in Lyon’s 3rd arrondissement, an area known for its cultural diversity. What makes this neighborhood unique is that it is home to an aging population, some of whom are from immigrant backgrounds. The association’s goal is therefore to combat the isolation of these individuals by providing a place for social interaction; it also supports them by ensuring access to rights, healthcare, and digital resources through drop-in services and community initiatives that provide comprehensive care. The association also provides food assistance through a social grocery store, as well as computer and French language classes.

This association promotes citizenship, culture, and intergenerational exchange—all issues that are close to my heart—which is why I support this association.

In a nutshell, how does the Foundation support the association?

At the K-fé social, cooking workshops were launched three years ago as part of the “When Youth Meets Wisdom” project.

This project focuses on sharing values and passing on knowledge through several key areas:

Cooking and enjoying yourself without breaking the bank

Strengthening bonds through a warm, welcoming, and meaningful shared experience

Working together, having a good time, and enjoying the results around a shared table

Cooking with unsold but edible food while offering tips on how to make the most of these underappreciated products

The association’s teams launched these cooking workshops after noticing that the elderly people served by the association were eating poorly and not getting enough to eat. Furthermore, 80% of these individuals have diabetes, which requires a proper diet.

The workshops were created to teach participants how to cook, understand balanced nutrition, discover new dietary options, and explore affordable ingredients (meals for under €2), as well as to rediscover the joy of cooking together and sharing meals. The workshops are led by the association’s facilitators as well as dietitians several times a year.

What did you get out of it?

I’m thrilled to have been able to “do my part” (however small it may be), like the hummingbird, to contribute to the success of this wonderful project led by this amazing organization. Since the organization is based in Lyon and I’m in Lille, I haven’t had the chance to visit yet, but I hope to go soon and maybe participate in a workshop. Apparently, I make particularly good brookies and am ready to share my culinary secrets!

I am especially grateful to the Damartex Group and the On Senior Side Foundation for giving us, as employees, the opportunity to get involved in these wonderful causes alongside our jobs, thereby doing our part to change society’s perception of seniors and work together for their well-being.