For twenty years, Gérard Naltet was a volunteer at the Loiret food bank.
Formerly of France Télécom, dismissed at the age of 55, he was in charge of the warehouse which stores and redistributes donations, in the Ingré area of activity.
But at 75, he decided to take “a second retirement” and leave these very demanding functions which mobilize him as much as a full-time job.
The “pick-up” is also deteriorating
To replace him, the food bank had to resort to hiring a director, a management position which will weigh heavily on the accounts: “We lack volunteers who agree to invest in these positions of responsibility.
So we have no choice, the work must be done,” explains the president, Antoine Vitoux, who arrived last September.
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Between 2021 and 2022, the number of beneficiaries of the food bank - via the social centers and associations it provides - increased by 20%, and last year it increased by another 8%, to reach 18,320 people. .
However, at the same time, supplies are declining.
From 1,340 tonnes in 2022, they increased to 1,225 tonnes in 2023. In addition, the “pick-ups” from supermarkets are deteriorating in quality.
“We often have products that are beyond their limits, at the end of their life, and we have a lot of waste.
However, it is our main source of fresh products,” adds the president.
To compensate, the association must buy more food, 3% more last year to reach 5% of the total, in an inflationary context which, again, weighs on its finances...
The association, which has 52 volunteers and 7 employees, therefore seeks to attract new volunteers who are committed “for the long term” and has even made it one of its priorities.
The stakes are all the greater as poverty continues to gain ground.