As you may know, this year we’ve expanded our Foundation Fridays posts to include more than just news & updates about the Untours Foundation. As Marilee already explained earlier, we will continue to include exciting news about the Foundation but will also have broader posts about things like our concern for the environment, cultural understanding and socially responsible business practices. That being said, here’s a bit of a broader post, with a nice little segue (my opinion, of course) from a little about the Foundation.
At the Untours Foundation, we support (through low-interest loans) all kinds of businesses, organizations and individuals aiming to responsibly create good jobs among vulnerable populations. When I say “all kinds,” I mean exactly that. Here’s just a small sampling of the myriad types of organizations we support:
- Microblending bank in Haiti that provides free financial classes and technical assistance to its community
- Manufacturer of high-end LEED certified counter tops and flooring made with 75% recycled glass
- Laundry service that uses bicycles, local green detergents and super-efficient washing machines & dryers
- Huge Fair Trade retailer/wholesaler of coffee, tea, cocoa, nuts and more
- Adult school in Brazil focused on sustainability issues for the country’s Landless Workers Movement
When I read about Faktum Hotels just last week – through my favorite travel industry site, no less – I immediately thought about the Foundation and felt compelled to share a bit about Faktum with you.
According to its website, Faktum is a street newspaper in Gothenburg, Sweden, that is focused mainly on this work: “to arouse debate and opinion about homelessness and isolation, but above all we provide those most in need with an occupation.” The end goal here is to help Gothenburg’s homeless get back on track through the structure, routine and responsibility of a regular job. Faktum believes that these new habits will support other positive habits to evenutally find a place to live and, ultimately, start a new life.
The Faktum website is structured like a boutique hotel website – beautifully lush photos, slick design, dreamy descriptions – but it’s all a benevolent masquerade. Their 10 “rooms” are actually different areas of Gothenburg where its homeless are known to inhabit. For each “room,” you are given the option to “Book for Yourself” or “Book as a Gift.”
Though it may sound like some kind of super immersive volunteer vacation, don’t start packing just yet. The “book” buttons are simply a way to donate to Faktum’s cause. You can “book” these “rooms” for anywhere from 1 night to 1 year and they only ask for 100 SEK (about $15) per night.
So, when you book Drottningtorget for 4 nights, because you want to “make the most of Gothenburg’s sophisticated selection of shops and restaurants,” you’re really making a $60 donation to Faktum.
Ingenious, isn’t it?
This sounds a lot like something our founder, Hal Taussig, would do – he’s a firm believer in giving a hand up, not a hand out. By empowering this population of Gothenburg in this way, Faktum is doing just that.