People affected by addictions often experience social exclusion or have difficulty organising their lives. The "Perspektive" association from the Solothurn-Grenchen region in Switzerland created the soup kitchen on the edge of Solothurn's old town to support these people. "In addition to offering hot meals, we want to provide those affected with a meeting place for community activities and social contacts, giving them the stability and inspiration they need to better their everyday lives", explains Sibylla Motschi, Division Manager of the soup kitchen. To support the important work of the association, Zuchwil-based coffee machine manufacturer Schaerer donated one of its professional catering coffee machines to the soup kitchen at the end of September. "We have already supported various charitable projects in the past and are committed to working together in the region in line with our motto ‘Fighting exclusion’", says Hansjürg Marti, DACH Director of Sales and Service at Schaerer AG. He goes on to say: "We asked our employees to submit suggestions and chose the soup kitchen because we were impressed by the association's dedication to helping people on the fringes of society and because it was important to us to support a regional project".

The main focus of the soup kitchen, as the name suggests, is offering community lunches and dinners. The reason for this is that addicts often neglect their diet, and this gives them the chance to eat regular and balanced meals. "The soup kitchen is both a place to eat and a meeting space — we hope to use it to give people a little support as well as a certain daily routine. The coffee machine donation from Schaerer is a very welcome addition! Now our visitors can enjoy a good cup of coffee with us in addition to the hot meals", Sibylla Motschi is happy to report.

Working together against exclusion
In line with the Groupe SEB motto "Fighting exclusion”, Schaerer AG takes active part in social causes in various areas. In addition to collaboration with VEBO (Verein für Eingliederungsstätte für Behinderte Oensingen/Association for Integration Centres for Handicapped People, Oensingen) and disability insurance, involvement in the soup kitchen is another building block in Schaerer AG's commitment to taking an active role in the region.   

Schaerer AG supports Solothurn soup kitchen charity with coffee machine donation