Accor Hotels Bali & Lombok recently introduced the latest in its community-oriented caring initiatives, driven by Accor‟s determination to provide a second life to discarded hotel linens while supporting poor communities and empowering people at the same time – in turn, giving them hope for a better future.
The initiative is called “Linens for Life”, and the first in the series was carried out in support of The Street Center which has been founded by Bali Life foundation. The foundation‟s noble aim is to take women and children off the streets and provide them with education, schooling and activities to start a new life.
Among the initiative‟s mission was to train the members of the community to create a wide range of useful products from discarded hotel linens. The proceeds of the products will then contribute to the improvement of their daily lives and ultimately keep them off the streets. Coaching is conducted up to twice within a week, with participants that range from 5 to 10 participants.
Throughout the coaching clinics, participants are shown and learn how to create all sorts of great products from the discarded hotel linens. These range from fashion items for both men and women such as beach sarongs, dresses, T-shirts, and trousers, as well as cool accessories that can match with the clothing items such as tote bags and pouches. For the household, the used linens were given a second life, made into great new products such as pillowcases.
The newly created „works of art‟ will further be showcased exclusively through a spectacular “Passion” themed fashion show and special fundraising gala dinner event on March 23rd, 2019 at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua. The event expects an attendance of up to 200, and will see hotel owners and general managers, celebrities, as well as fashion and apparel shop tenants among the distinguished invitees.
The evening cocktail will display collections from the Woman Street Centre foundation available for sale. Meanwhile, a set dinner will accompany the fashion show and auctions, featuring 30 ready-to-wear collections (in casual, evening attire and nightgown categories) from the alumni of notable Indonesian fashion designer, Susan Budihardjo.
Susan Budihardjo is widely known as one of the senior fashion designers in Indonesia, and her deep passion for the fashion world has led her to establish the Lembaga Pengajaran Tata Busana Susan Budihardjo (Susan Budihardjo Fashion Design Education Institute) in 1980. Since then, the school has created a growing number of talented young designers like Sebastian Gunawan, Eddy Betty, Andrian Gan, Irsan, Didi Budiarjo, Denny Wirawan and many more.
Great entertainment will also complement the fundraising evening, featuring sweet melodies performed by acoustic band and beautiful singer Eva Scolaro, also Celebrity MC from Jakarta, Melissa Karim. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Accor Hotels Bali & Lombok funds, to support the other various and wide-ranging CSR activities throughout Indonesia.
Concerning the noble Linens for Life initiative, Accor Area General Manager for Bali & Lombok Hotels, Sylvain Pasdeloup, shared his jovial thoughts, “We are very proud and feel highly honoured that Accor Hotels Bali & Lombok has played a part in such a great communityoriented caring initiative as this. The well-being and development of the people of Bali and Lombok are very close to our heart – we would do anything in our capacity to provide support.”
The “Linens for Life” committee was spearheaded by representatives from 4 Accor hotels in Bali and Lombok, namely Mrs. Risya Wulansari (General Manager of Ibis Styles Bali Benoa), Mr. Thierry Gasnier (Former General Manager of The Kuta Beach Heritage Hotel), Mrs. Patricia (General Manager of Amarterra Villages Bali Nusa Dua), and Mrs. Pangastuti Sumarningsih (Talent & Culture Manager, The Kuta Beach Heritage Hotel).