" More than a million people have received help from Secours populaire since the start of confinement, " notes Sébastien Thollot, national secretary of the association, which helps three million people in France and around the world each year. " We saw an increase of 45% between mid-March and mid-May, " he adds. The volunteers saw new faces crossing the doors of the associations. Self-employed entrepreneurs without recent orders, students, families with children who supplemented their income with odd jobs saw their life and their financial balance upset.
" The epidemic has affected all of France and all walks of life, city as well as countryside, " analyzes Sébastien Thollot. Throughout the territory, the raids, food distribution, emergency housing and even telephone support continued during confinement to protect the most isolated and destitute, particularly vulnerable in times of epidemic.
"Those who were in precariousness fell into poverty and those who were borderline went into precariousness".
Véronique Fayet, President of Secours Catholique" Those who were in precariousness fell into poverty and those who were borderline went into precariousness ", explains Véronique Fayet, president of Secours Catholique. There are many examples of families coming to ask for help. A young woman with a child who earned 1600 euros per month through bonuses and overtime saw her income cut in half with confinement and economic measures. The president of Secours Catholique remembers another family welcomed: a single mother, responsible for raising her three teenagers alone with an RSA and a few hours of cleaning canceled. Unable to cope in Covid time.
Food aid, a continuing need
The first request was for food. Income has dropped or disappeared and school canteens have closed. For all parents who benefit from meals for less than one euro funded by the town hall, it is difficult to fill the plates of children and adolescents. As of March 17, many of them came to Secours Populaire. The association distributed 315 million euros of food thanks to restaurateurs and caterers forced to close during the confinement.
The Abbé Pierre foundation was able to help 77,000 people, including homeless people, families living in slums, in squats or camps, by providing 100,000 service checks. These papers allow the beneficiaries to equip themselves with basic necessities and to buy food. At Secours Catholique, 5 million euros were spent, compared to 1.4 million for the whole of 2019. In the Seine-Saint-Denis department alone, demand for food aid has increased 500%.
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" And we haven't really seen a drop since deconfinement, even if some associations have been able to reopen, " observes Sébastien Thollot. " It even continues to be very strong, " he adds. To meet the growing demands of associations, the government promised in April an envelope of 39 million euros.
If it is still too early to have figures on demand since May 11, the observation is the same for charities: the queues in front of food distribution points did not stop with the deconfinement. In many cities such as Paris, Nantes, Lille, Nancy, Strasbourg, they even lengthen.
Some children have returned to school, but few parents have found their full-time jobs. Family budget balances therefore remain highly fragile and the situation should not improve quickly according to economic forecasts.
" Catastrophic situation for the homeless "
"From the first days of confinement, the situation was catastrophic for the homeless," reports Alexandra Chapeleau, communications manager for the association Aux captifs, la liberation. The Christian association, turned towards the people of the street, organizes each year more than 1500 marauding in the streets of Paris. During the two confined months, the homeless, 160,000 according to the last World Census, suffered from the lack of amenities. Public toilets and day care centers were closed due to a lack of maintenance staff and staff. The streets and metros were quickly deserted, thus depriving them of a significant part of their resources. " These invisible people who suddenly became so visible " lived these two months in " very great solitude " and today bear witness to " a need for relationships stronger than usual ", adds Alexandra Chapeleau.
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" A tremendous cooperation has been achieved with social services " to house and protect the most vulnerable, says Bruno Morel, director general of Emmaus Solidarité. The winter break has been extended until July 10 and 17,730 new emergency accommodation spaces have been opened throughout the territory. Thus, 157,000 people were able to be accommodated in centers or hotels.
17,730 additional spaces were opened during containment. Source: Ministry of Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Local Authorities
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The Minister of the City and Housing, Julien Denormandie, promised on May 4, 3000 new places to reach the figure of 160,000 beds in emergency accommodation.
Unprecedented but insufficient generosity
" The confinement has seen the birth of unprecedented generosity ," enthuses Thierry des Lauriers, director general of the association Aux captifs, la liberation. Confinement has given citizens time to get involved in local and personal initiatives or on the government's Civic Reserve platform. For example, Secours populaire has welcomed 5,000 new volunteers since March. Their help is not only material, it is also financial. " Like most other solidarity associations, we see an increase in donations during this period " to meet the demands so far, adds Thierry des Lauriers.
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However, heads of charities are worried about the aftermath of the crisis. The Secours populaire has lost 10 million euros in resources. " What will last after July 10? asks Bruno Morel, CEO of Emmaus Solidarity. The winter break and the financial aid must be maintained ”. To meet the needs, the associations have drawn from their reserves for 2020, which raises fears of the coming difficult months. Food collections are just starting to pick up but are not yet able to store enough supplies to last until the fall.
Solidarity of tomorrow
" The confinement has forced us to rethink our ways of welcoming, " reflects Véronique Fayet. For the president of Secours Catholique, it was important to adapt to maintain all actions with the poorest. The psychological suffering was "very violent" for all these families who shared small spaces or stayed in hotel rooms. Others found themselves isolated, without any link with the outside in a small cramped space. "We had to break this loneliness, to be like a family for those who don't have one . " The volunteers of Secours Catholique wanted to keep in touch with all their members by creating WhatsApp groups as well as telephone channels. " We have learned that we can also take care of themselves if they do not come to our premises," concludes Véronique Fayet. With a phone call or a visit to the slums, it's up to us to go to them. It is a new way of thinking about solidarity. "