The ArcelorMittal Foundation visits La Main Tendue a.s.b.l. Angela
In January 2025, the ArcelorMittal Luxembourg Foundation visited the La Main Tendue association, a non-profit organization run by Angela, in Pétange. A loyal supporter of the association since 2008, the Foundation takes a close interest in its work, including its efforts to provide social assistance and combat all forms of violence (physical, sexual, and psychological).
During this visit, Foundation representatives met with La Main Tendue employees and volunteers, discovering the premises, which permanently welcome adults, young parents, teenagers, and parental assistants. These spaces host numerous activities: listening sessions, educational support, roundtable discussions, and support for the integration of young adults. With demand constantly increasing, the association aims to find larger premises to better accommodate its beneficiaries.
A flagship project supported by the Foundation is the "BabbelGrupp Parents’ Café," a program of roundtable discussions addressing social issues and answering families’ questions. The BabbelGrupp is open Tuesday evenings and Thursday mornings, and by appointment on Saturdays. The BabbelGrupp also organizes a regular service on Tuesday evenings and Thursday mornings (Saturdays by appointment). Furthermore, to meet growing demand, the professionals in charge of the project are organizing six sessions for young adults (10 to 20 young people per session, in French and Luxembourg) until June in collaboration with the SNJ. Building on its success, the association is also working on a collaboration with ARCUS and parental assistants.
Discussions cover a variety of key topics such as the mental health of young adults (18-25 years old), adolescent depression, dropping out of school, addictions (screen and drug addictions), and social isolation, a phenomenon exacerbated by the health crisis. Participants are invited to provide their feedback via satisfaction questionnaires, allowing for the continuous adaptation and improvement of these discussion sessions.
These discussion groups also provide an initial contact for those who are not yet familiar with the association and wish to benefit from more in-depth support. To adapt to the needs of young people and young parents, La Main Tendue is working on digitizing the program to facilitate access. The visit was also an opportunity to discuss the association’s work with Arcus, a company that trains and employs childminders. The association has developed joint interventions to enable them to discuss sensitive issues that they cannot always address directly with their employers. These sessions, which will be integrated into their training, will assist them in their daily work.
With a team of 25 employees, including four in charge of the listening center, as well as 12 active volunteers and nine in training, La Main Tendue continues to develop its initiatives to meet the growing needs of the population. The visit to the ArcelorMittal Foundation provided an opportunity to highlight these initiatives and strengthen a partnership essential to the association’s future.