"
Hello Madam, this is the Secours populaire parcel
."
A door opens slowly.
Aïcha, dressed in a light-colored nightgown, lets her head hang out.
When asked how she is, she replies that she "
is tired
", "
sad
" and "
very sick
".
Tears escape from her hazel eyes when Jeremy, the delivery man, hands her this little paper bag containing a festive meal, a bottle of cider and a small potted hyacinth.
A hand placed on the shoulder, a few words of comfort, a smile and we must already set off again.
To read also: "We can not follow": faced with the wave of precariousness, associations on the verge of rupture
Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the Secours populaire was unable to organize its traditional feast during which more than 300 families and underprivileged people are usually invited to the Paris City Hall to celebrate the transition to the new Year.
In an exceptional situation, exceptional device.
For 24 hours, trucks and bicycles roamed the streets of Paris to distribute these holiday meals on time to compensate for this cancellation.
As 3 star customers
Portes d'Aubervilliers, de la Chapelle, Saint-Ouen then Clichy, Jérémie crosses the boulevards of the Maréchaux.
With his two-trailer bicycle, he carries around ten packed lunches.
Jérémie, a delivery man for the Olvo company, delivers packed lunches for the Secours populaire by bike.
Marie-Liévine Michalik / Le Figaro
Rue Bonnet, 3rd floor, Rue Mercadet, 4th floor.
Behind each door, a different person, precarious families, isolated elderly people with their stories, their joys and their sorrows in this December 31, 2020. For the transition to the new year, all hope to put far behind the bad memories of the two confinements successive.
Without the Secours populaire, they would not have put the small dishes in the big ones, for lack of means.
So for Mireille *, this plate “
worthy of a chef
” is “
a blessing
”.
“
It feels good, it warms our hearts.
»Aged in her sixties, the woman with hair dyed red, almost red, lives in a small apartment a few minutes from the Paris ring road.
“
And above all, take care of yourself,
” she says, seeing Jeremy walk away, after offering him two chocolates to thank him for coming.
Read also: For Christmas, offer a festive dessert to an elderly person alone
For the bicycle delivery man, used to distributing meals to wealthy customers wishing to treat themselves to a three-star dinner, taking part in the Secours populaire missions is a “
chance
”.
"
I have the impression of really serving something
,
of doing a good deed,
" notes the seasoned cyclist.
A service that is not only “
useful
” but also “
warmer
”, “
more friendly
”.
“
They always tell us thank you,” he
adds
,
“
sometimes they even offer us a tip when they don't have much
”.
The appearance is the same.
Each dish is in a small cardboard box, the flower is delicately placed at the bottom and a little word is written "
to give them courage
".
On the menu, “
Christmas focaccia garnished with roasted vegetables, forest poultry with mushrooms and a chocolate log for dessert
”.
Jérémie wants to serve them with the same attention and the same delicacy “
as 3-star customers
” because “
for them, it is even more important
”.
This is his way of using his skills in this difficult period, during which the Secours populaire saw requests for food aid doubled.
In each package, a festive meal, a hyacinth, a small bottle of cider and a sweet note.
Marie-Liévine Michalik / Le Figaro
Meals hoped for and expected
Lancelot and Manu, have also decided to make themselves useful on this last day of 2020. One is a student in economics and management, the other is a former waiter in a Parisian brasserie.
Both saw their activity greatly reduced with the Covid-19 and decided to give part of their free time to poor people.
Manu arrived at Secours populaire a little by chance, "
a football buddy
" who asked him to replace him for a delivery.
Skilled in driving a truck, he “
didn't hesitate
” and “
has stayed there ever since
”.
Lancelot is a regular at Passage Ramey in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, where the Secours populaire premises are located.
At the age of 14, he wanted to set up his own "
association for young people
" and then joined the historic association of 1945. Food collections, organization of festive events, Lancelot is increasing its solidarity actions.
150 meal baskets out of the 300 were distributed to elderly people living in residences in Paris.
Marie-Liévine Michalik / Le Figaro
On December 31, he took his place next to Manu in a truck in the colors of the Secours populaire, loaded with more than 150 packed lunches.
Direction the 14th arrondissement.
Objective: deliver dinner to two isolated adult residences which will be served on New Year's Eve "
to give the party a little color
".
Anne Chervin, responsible for the first accommodation, is delighted to be able to offer her 75 residents for the first time these “
little surprises
” which will “
make the party more beautiful and more joyful
”.
A few streets further, it is the chef of the residence who receives the precious dinners, a treat for the forty or so inhabitants, the majority of whom suffer from psychiatric disorders.
A long-awaited Christmas meal, especially after a “
not easy
”
Christmas vacation
according to a nurse who assists them on a daily basis.
“
More than three-quarters of them no longer have any contact with their family, the end of year celebrations are long,
” she says.
They will be delighted and throw themselves on it with envy
”.
A small effort that can give a whole new flavor to the end of the year, rejoices Abdelsem Ghazi, secretary general of the Paris branch of Secours populaire.
He hopes 2021 will be better even if he fears the worst when he sees the lines stretching out in front of the food distributions.
From the year 2020, he wishes to keep this momentum of generosity which has pushed 2,500 new people to volunteer as well as these shared smiles, these words exchanged and this creativity which has made it possible to create a bond without being able to touch each other.