FRUIT OF CARE aims to enhance the dignity and self-reliance of disadvantaged people often with disabilities by involving them in the production process and providing them with a platform to showcase their talents. To realize this, FRUIT OF CARE only cooperates with social enterprises as suppliers. This way the products of FRUIT OF CARE are always produced in a social way. In this article the cooperation between FRUIT OF CARE and their social suppliers is described.

FRUIT OF CARE

FRUIT OF CARE is a social enterprise that has sold well over one hundred thousand gift items to over one hundred mainstream enterprises in Hungary. Its suppliers are exclusively social enterprises employing people from disadvantaged groups. FRUIT OF CARE’s main purpose is to provide market access to its suppliers and contribute to the social and economic integration of underprivileged people by offering corporate clients high-quality gift solutions.

FRUIT OF CARE in this case functions as a ‘middle man’. between different larger companies, including multinationals such as Vodafone, Citibank and Erste bank, and local social enterprises.

The social enterprise who supply FRUIT OF CARE:

1. Elfogadás Sütöde - Acceptance Bakery Social Cooperative
A Social Cooperative founded by the Hungarian Charity Service of Malta situated in Monor in an ethnically segregated area. Employs four disadvantaged Roma women who put their heart and soul into their homemade, preservative-free cookies. Working with a few loyal customers.

2. Homokhátság Social Cooperative
Established as a local initiative to represent the values of Bordány village to the wider world through gourmet products. Using excellent vegetable and fruit produce of local farmers, from which we prepare premium-quality delicacies typical of the region under the Legjava brand name.

3. Medence (Topcycler Ltd.)
Unused advertising materials even made of PVC are considered waste, so their destruction is costly and energy-intensive. At the same time, these materials can be further used after proper cleaning, Medence gives these a new life in a new form.

4. Natur Prémium Social Cooperative
Produces and distributes kosher certified handmade soaps from quality raw materials. Our soaps are made from extra virgin olive oil, Ghanaian Shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut butter. The high-end product of the cooperative is the gold soap, which contains real, nano-sized 24-karat gold.

5.Trizsi Social Cooperative
Makes products from fruits and herbs grown and collected locally in the Aggtelek National Park area, as well as raw materials purchased from local producers. Based on traditional recipes they are brought to your table by the careful hands of the women members of the cooperative.

The Partnership

FRUIT OF CARE has been looking for new partners continuously, but also pays attention to maintaining relationships with existing suppliers. Partnerships with certain suppliers go back for 14 years (starting in 2010).

For the partnership the social enterprises supply the following products to the mainstream enterprise:

Elfogadás Sütöde: Artisan biscuits and cakes.

Homokhátság Social Cooperative: Artisan jams and spreads.

Medence (Topcycler Ltd.): Recycled bags

Social Cooperative: Handmade soaps and cosmetics

Trizsi Social Cooperative: Quince bonbons dipped in chocolate

The Impact

Elfogadás Sütöde: Employment for four disadvantaged Roma women.

Homokhátság Social Cooperative: Promotion of local products and improvement of farmers' living standards.

Medence (Topcycler Ltd.): Use of more than 150,000 square meters of advertising material for recycling.

Natur Prémium Social Cooperative: All the members of our Cooperative have a strong social and environmental awareness. Production of environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic soaps.

Trizsi Social Cooperative: Permanent and secure employment to women locally thus they are able to provide and care for their families at their place of residence

Quotes

“FRUIT OF CARE orders a huge batch of cookies from us at Christmas, thus supporting the work of the four women. The year-end bonus is partly thanks to FRUIT OF CARE.”

Elfogadás Sütöde

“We are proud to be cooperating with FRUIT OF CARE for the third consecutive year. They have expanded our market opportunities towards customers who are open to the products of social enterprises.”

Homokhátság Social Cooperative

“Fruit of Care and Medencebag are both companies committed to true value creation. Our work is mainly guided by social and ecological values, which also plays an important role during our cooperation and goes beyond economic interests.”

Medence (Topcycler Ltd.)

“Our cooperation goes beyond sales activities as FRUIT OF CARE supports us regularly in our marketing activity as well.”

Natur Prémium Social Cooperative

“FRUIT OF CARE has been an important partner in opening up new B2B markets of large corporations and also helped us with our product development efforts.”

Trizsi Social Cooperative

“FRUIT OF CARE’s main role is to bridge the gap between mainstream enterprise as the final customer of the gift items and the social enterprises supplying the products. We build strategic and long-lasting relationships with our suppliers and support their work from product development to marketing and communication. Our strong and growing network of social enterprise suppliers has been helping us to be able to offer to our demanding corporate partners high quality and socially conscious products.”

FRUIT OF CARE