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“Real poverty is the absence of a relationship”: behind the scenes of a solidarity Christmas

2022-12-23T10:48:39.840Z


REPORT - While a majority of French people are preparing to reunite with their families for the holidays, volunteers are busy preparing a Christmas meal that will welcome the homeless and isolated people.


"

Christmas Eve is a difficult time for isolated people

."

Régis Ceyrac has been a volunteer at Le Pain Partagé since 2015. The group from the parish of Notre-Dame de Clignancourt, attached to Secours Catholique, has existed for twenty years.

He has been preparing for a few days for a large Christmas meal which will welcome nearly 110 guests on New Year's Eve.

Each in turn and from the beginning of the afternoon of Saturday December 24, the guests will pass the gate of rue Hermel, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, to reach a welcoming room.

Rue Hermel, 18th arrondissement, Paris.

Screenshot - Google Maps

Have a finger in the pie

The idea is that everyone participates

, explains the volunteer, all smiles.

We share a meal, but we also share the extra: the preparation, the cleaning of the room and the dishes

”.

On Saturday, the kitchens will open early.

Shared Bread is fortunate to have two cordon-bleu chefs among its volunteers: a young cook in her thirties and a retiree.

In the kitchen, they are the ones in charge.

The people welcomed by Secours Catholique help out and help with the smooth running of operations.

"

We involve them in the preparation of the meal, it's important

," says Marie Leport, another volunteer.

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On the New Year's Eve menu, a real feast: puff pastry of seafood as a starter, roast veal with porcini mushrooms and chanterelles, polenta and vegetable flan, Brie de Meaux for the cheese, and finally, a Yule log.

Regarding the drink, the association remains cautious.

"

Some people have problems with alcohol, we will celebrate Christmas with Champomy

", says Régis with a smile.

Dozens of tables of eight will be arranged in the room.

A volunteer and seven people welcomed by the association will settle there.

A meal at Pain Partagé.

Regis Ceyrac

While Secours Catholique finances the vast majority of meals offered by Le Pain Partagé (up to 15,000 euros per year), volunteers and people welcomed by the association are encouraged to contribute three euros for this festive meal.

Whether they can do it or not, the door is obviously wide open to them.

A musical atmosphere

"

And the secret of a good New Year's Eve is to have music

," slips Marie Leport, who will also participate in the evening.

His happy face comes from the happiness that this organization gives him.

Attached to Hiver Solidaire, an operation that allows six homeless people to be housed and fed for five months (from December to April) in more than fifteen Parisian parishes, Marie will celebrate New Year's Eve this year with the group of Shared Bread.

Christmas photo in 2021 as part of Winter Solidarity.

MARIE LEPORT

For her, the music allows to make the link: "

In previous years, I just came with a speaker, but this year I proposed to the father of a friend, who is a retired musician, to come and play some pieces

" .

who wishes, comes

The mission set by these volunteers may seem difficult: it is a question of uniting people who,

a priori,

would not have the vocation to mix with.

The populations we welcome are between 30 and 86 years old, and are rather masculine,

explains Régis.

There are people who live on the streets, others in squats, in emergency hotels, in cellars with rats for companions, many undocumented people...

" Right next to those who rub shoulders with violence every night, sit isolated elderly people without families.

The latter turn to the association to find a link and frequent it diligently.

"

It's an unconditional welcome

, explains Régis,

to offer a moment of peace and conviviality to the most isolated people who wish to reconnect

”.

A person welcomed during a meal.

Regis Ceyrac

For a few hours, everyone will try to leave their life at the doorstep to fully share this moment.

"

We will start with a round table where everyone will say their first name, so as not to form a table of strangers

", explains Régis.

He says, moved, that this phase of exchanges is often quite lively: “

People are happy to say that they have a name and that they are not anonymous

”.

Then, the group will have to restrict itself to a short moment of silence, to prepare an atmosphere of listening and benevolence.

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"

This does not prevent disputes from breaking out, even sometimes with violence or insults, but it is difficult to ask people to completely abandon what they experienced the previous night

", testifies Régis.

The volunteers confirm it to us, a majority of the people they welcome have experienced great difficulties or trauma.

Some have cigarette burn marks on their arms from their parents;

another saw his mother die under the blows of his father

, he breathes.

They emerge from great violence, we must not forget that

”.

“Beautiful things are happening thanks to these connections”

The volunteers then rely on the creation of links.

For isolated people, the great suffering comes from the absence of a relationship with the other.

It reminds me of a discussion I had with a small group of people we welcome, called Fraternité: we talked about poverty.

For them, real poverty was about human relationships.

What's important is to be in contact with others and to share

,” says Régis.

In this benevolent atmosphere, people in pain confide in each other, people who have fought violently forgive each other, acts of kindness are moving.

"

When there is no more room before the meal, I close the entrance gate

," says Régis, smiling

.

One day, a homeless man got up when he saw me doing it and told me to give someone his seat, he told me he was no longer hungry

.

For the volunteers, it is these "exceptional moments" that also make the beauty of these evenings.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-12-23

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