No respite for precariousness.
Not for solidarity either.
This weekend, the city of Gennevilliers organized an eleventh food distribution in the village hall.
This system began in December 2020 in the midst of a health crisis.
Almost two years later, the municipality has prepared and offered some 15,000 solidarity baskets in total since then.
“We distribute 1,500 each time.
During the first edition, we had gone out of a thousand but the demand was so great that we had to ramp up, ”says one in the town hall.
This Saturday, a veritable army of 80 volunteers, including a class from a primary school, prepared and hosted the distribution.
“It was all over in two hours.
At 4 p.m., we had to close the doors, there was nothing left.
It's crazy.
There were 200 to 300 people waiting for us to start,” sighs Grégory Boulord, deputy mayor in charge of social policies, solidarity, the social and solidarity economy and the circular economy.
"We really feel a concern among people"
Gennevilliers parcels are substantial.
Each "beneficiary" left with around ten kilos of food: a parcel of fresh produce (seasonal fruit and vegetables) and a grocery item.
“This makes it possible to last two or three weeks, it is estimated in the mayor's office.
Considering the period, in addition to the end of the month, it is not nothing.
We rely on the good faith of the inhabitants.
No proof of income is required.
Everyone plays the game…”
Present at all the distributions, Grégory Boulord noted an evolution in the profile of applicants with more elderly people and single-parent families.
He is not the only one.
“In fact, we started with the health crisis, we continued with the social crisis which was grafted on and now we have the economic crisis with the rise in prices, in particular energy.
We really feel a concern among people, ”comments a relative of Patrice Leclerc, the PCF mayor of Gennevilliers.
These distributions are not about to stop.
The municipality is even preparing to reactivate old devices.
“We are thinking about relaunching financial aid for families via the CAF, announces the mayor’s office.
We had already put this in place during the first wave of Covid to help families who had seen their expenses increase.
“At the time, this financial boost had cost 1.5 million euros.
