During World War I, Renié survived by giving lessons, and gave charity concerts almost nightly, going to a fund called the "Petite Caisse des Artists" that gave immediately and anonymously to artists in need, even when a battle was being fought 90 kilometers from Paris and Big Bertha was bombarding the city. After the war, Arturo Toscanini offered Renié a contract, which she declined because her mother's health was failing. In 1922, she was recommended for the Legion of Honor, but she was rejected for her religious beliefs.