ARES Group

It all started in 1991, when in the bustling streets of Paris, in the heart of the urban labyrinth of Gares du Nord and Gare de l'Est, ARES (Association pour une Réinsertion Economique et Sociale) was born. Founded by a social worker and a member of the Council of State, with the support of public authorities, and the commitment of SNCF and Manpower, the organization set out on an important mission - to integrate people in situations of severe exclusion through employment.  

At first, the homeless people at the stations were mere "undesirables," invisible to the hurried commuters and indifferent passers-by. But through the support of ARES, they were transformed into the station’s favorite workmates - individuals deserving of dignity and respect. 

With time, the mission of ARES expanded beyond the confines of the train stations. Today they support more than 1,500 individuals in situations of extreme exclusion per year, by using and adapting various work integration mechanisms, offering access to paid work and personalized social support. 

The core of ARES' DNA is the belief that no one is unemployable. With proper support, everyone can reveal their talents and skills, and shape their personal and professional story. Work is more than just a means of livelihood, it is the cornerstone of integration.  ARES is first and foremost a place where beneficiaries can put down their bags, sort out their problems, and gradually prepare for their future on a professional and personal level.

ARES knew that true transformation could only be achieved through collaboration. Thus, they forged strong partnerships with the business world, recognizing the pivotal role of sustainable employment in breaking the cycle of exclusion. 

The partnership with La Poste

La Poste is a French public limited company mainly active as an operator of postal services, banking, insurance, mobile phone operator, provider of digital services and commerce solutions, e-commerce, data collection and sales. Together with its subsidiaries, it is the second-largest express parcel operator in Europe in terms of turnover.

For more than 10 years, La Poste has been contributing to the integration of people who are far from employment (long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, people without qualifications, etc.) either by inviting its suppliers to make a commitment to these populations and to act alongside it, or by looking for suppliers, such as ARES, who share its values of openness, fairness, solidarity and societal development. 

In 2014, La Poste Group published a public bidding for parcel sorting, loading and unloading services. ARES Group applied and met perfectly the needs of this labor-intensive market, thanks to its subcontracting industrial know-how and strong management skills. ARES Group became a major subcontractor of La Poste Group with a strong social impact in terms of professional integration.

From 2014 to 2023, ARES has placed its teams on 3 parcel platforms in Ile-de-France, and on 2 sites of its subsidiary Viapost. The partnership aims to develop pathways for employees on integration schemes, making its activities a springboard to sustainable employment. Since 2020, ARES and Viapost, a subsidiary of La Poste, have combined their expertise to provide high-quality, high-impact handling services.

The strong commitment of operations people and the development strategy in local territories have helped to tighten the relationship and to duplicate the model in other sites and platforms of La Poste and Viapost.

“Our social impact partnership with La Poste proves that this is possible to conciliate social, economic and operational performance and that the springboard model of work and social enterprise integration can truly bring added value in human resources management of industrial sites.”

- Guillaume Herisson, Co-general Manager at ARES

The impact

For 10 years, the partnership between La Poste and ARES has allowed almost 2000 people to find a path to sustainable employment. 

Until 2022, the partnership between ARES and La Poste represented purchases worth €4.4 million.

“As a mission-driven company, La Poste is committed to society and local communities. Among its commitments, La Poste aims to promote social inclusion and contribute to territorial cohesion. Buying from inclusive companies, which focuses on supporting people who are out of the labour market (e.g., long-term unemployed,  young people without qualifications, seniors etc.), is a major CSR lever for social inclusion. Employees from Ares working alongside La Poste teams help foster a more inclusive work environment. The partnership with Ares, a social enterprise, embodies this commitment to socio-professional inclusion and supports the economic development of our local communities.”

- Loan CHAU, CSR Project manager at La Poste