The ghostly figures of the homeless roam the deserted streets of the capital. This health crisis has plunged these men and women from the shadows into an even greater precariousness. “It is the first time in Paris that I have seen people on the street go hungry. Before, they just had to stand in front of a fast food restaurant to get a sandwich. Today, they can no longer survive by begging because they no longer see many people on the streets. The metros are empty. The joggers go out without their wallets. The plight of the homeless is appalling, ”murmurs Françoise Haouzi, responsible in Paris for donations and surplus collections and unsold food at Restos du Coeur. This retiree has not forgotten "the face very damaged by the pangs of the life of a young woman of thirty, who was in tears in the subway. She was crying because she was hungry. ”
2000 salads prepared every day
Since the establishment of containment, the charity has had to adapt to cope with the upheavals caused by the pandemic. Volunteers - the vast majority of retirees more vulnerable to the Covid-19 - are fewer and distributing hot meals on the street is no longer possible.
“When the government made the decision to close the premises that are not essential to the life of the Nation, Parisian restaurants contacted us to offer to give us their perishable goods. But unfortunately there was nothing we could do with it since we no longer had the possibility of preparing hot meals, ”explains the volunteer. It was then that restaurateurs decided to concoct cold meals for them.
Chains also participate in aid
Today, 2,000 mixed salads packaged in trays are produced by eight Parisian establishments. “We still have to find a solution to enrich the packed lunches with a sandwich or a savory pie because the salads are not sufficiently consistent. The homeless need a food supply one and a half times greater than people with a roof over their heads, ”explains the volunteer, who is hopeful that her message will be heard“ there is an extraordinary chain of solidarity ”.
The mayor of Paris and the region have decided to give their stocks of food from the coffers of schools, colleges and high schools. Cojean, a high-end on-the-go restaurant chain and Frichti, a meal delivery application are historic donors, as are Sodebo and Daunat, manufacturers of industrial sandwiches.
