L'Armée du Salut
Origins and vocation
The Salvation Army at the heart of the project
The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 by William Booth in 19th-century industrial England. Its vocation is to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of people in distress.
It is present in 109 countries on five continents. It carries out work of general interest in the fields of health (hospitals, dispensaries, etc.), education and social welfare, and intervenes at every stage of life, from birth to the end of life.
The Salvation Army in France
Established in France in 1881, it was recognized as a public utility by the decree of April 7, 1931, and is constantly expanding its influence in the health and social sectors.
The Salvation Army works in partnership with public authorities and other players in the social field. A founding member of organizations such as the Union Nationale Interfédérale des Œuvres et Organismes Privés Sanitaires et Sociaux (UNIOPSS), the Fédération Acteurs de la Solidarité (FAS), the Syndicat national des employeurs de l'action sociale et médicosociale (SYNEAS), and the Fédération française des Banques Alimentaires, it is involved in measures to combat exclusion, and organizes and manages reception facilities in partnership with other institutions or services, at the request of public authorities.
From Association to Foundation
Following the decree of April 11, 2000, the Salvation Army Foundation was recognized as being in the public interest. While the values and missions of the new Foundation are identical to those of the Association, its means of action are more extensive. With this move, The Salvation Army affirms its commitment to openness to civil society and to different political, cultural, social and human environments. It believes that exchange and partnership are sources of vitality and enrichment.
The Foundation manages establishments and services in a wide range of sectors.
Its establishments and services offer quality services to users of social and medico-social action, in the fields of child protection, disability, impairment, dependency, support and accompaniment for excluded groups, young people, disabled adults and the elderly. The work of the Foundation, its managers, executives and technicians is guided by the founding ideas and values of The Salvation Army. Its generalist action is based on three missions: "Help, Support, Rebuild".
The Salvation Army Foundation employs over 2,700 staff and 5,000 volunteers. It manages some 230 establishments and services in France. The Foundation's resources are made up of subsidies from public bodies, donations and bequests, income from sales and fees for services rendered.
Driven by a strong desire to move towards greater efficiency, the Salvation Army Foundation is pursuing a "Quality Approach" based on a reference framework. Since 2018, it has been labeled by the expert firm IDEAS.
It is developing a staff management method based on participative management by objective.
Rich in history and experience, and driven by strong values, the Salvation Army, through the Foundation, intends to pursue and extend its commitment in the social and medico-social field. It is driven by a desire to modernize, combining charity and professionalism, the ethics of conviction and the ethics of competence. The Salvation Army Foundation is attentive to changing political and social contexts. It works to implement innovative responses to new issues emerging in the field of social action.
In this context, Lyon Cité is the largest French establishment, with 1,500 people housed every day and 300 employees.
