“Accompagner” is an association (non-profit organization) founded and run by Assumptionist religious in Brussels. This frontline social institution includes a reception and socio-legal orientation service, an outpatient support service, and a volunteer service.

The distant origins of the association date back to the 1980s. Ghislaine Radoux-Rogier, a member of the Maranatha Catholic community and widow of a lawyer deeply committed to serving the most disadvantaged, continued his work by welcoming all forms of distress. To help organize her dedication, Father Mutien Lambert, an Assumptionist religious and founder of the Maranatha Community, asked Guy Leroy to assist her. Supported by a few volunteers, Guy set up a support structure.

After his priestly ordination in 1984, Father Guy expanded the support activities to include the homeless and the disadvantaged in the neighborhood around the Sainte Marie-Madeleine church in central Brussels, where he served. The seed of “Accompagner” came to life.

In 2000, the Congregation of the Religious of the Assumption launched a call for projects firmly focused on serving the poor. The Brussels field accompaniment project was selected and received support from the congregation. The association “Accompagner” was then created. This marked a shift from occasional aid to ongoing support, aimed at assisting people in difficulty with all kinds of procedures they find hard, if not impossible, to carry out alone.

The mission of “Accompagner” is to promote and encourage the autonomy of action for anyone in difficulty, with a view to better social integration. To this end, trained volunteers accompany individuals physically in the field through necessary procedures to help them regain their rights and responsibilities as citizens, achieve autonomy, live with dignity, and feel valued within society. The association also offers these services to many private and public institutions that request this type of support for their beneficiaries, enabling them to increase the effectiveness of their work. Finally, it provides administrative and digital support to people overwhelmed by the growing digital pressure.

In 2024, the team, which includes eight permanent salaried staff members and several dozen volunteers, conducted more than 4,000 individual interviews, welcomed 1,244 beneficiaries, carried out 1,083 field accompaniment missions, and collaborated with 137 public and private partner institutions.

More information at: https://accompagner.be/