Every Thursday afternoon, nurses at the Montauban hospital center collect their order of fruit and vegetables, directly at their workplace. An appreciable delivery service in times of curfew.
The appointment is given every week, on Thursday at the beginning of the afternoon, in the parking lot of the hospital center of the city of Ingres. The nurses, equipped with medical trolleys on wheels, await a very special delivery. That of Eric Schievene. The market gardener of the Riches of the Earth, road from Saint-Nauphary to Montauban, is right on time for the distribution of crates of fresh fruit and vegetables.
The initiative was born during the first confinement almost a year ago, and relaunched with the introduction of the 6 p.m. curfew in mid-January, at the request of hospital staff. “It has become complicated for us to do our shopping. We start the day at 7:30 am and we rarely finish before 6:00 pm,” says Pierrette, from the surgery department. This “home” delivery also appeals to her colleagues from other departments: “We come to work and leave with our purchases, fresh and local products, which is appreciable”, thus agrees Colette, in neurology, who usually places an order, on the same principle, with Pierre Chiavassa, of the Jardins d’Odette, in Castanet.
The baskets are prepared the same morning.
–
Ten to twenty baskets per week
The baskets are prepared on Thursday morning, depending on the products available. This week, endives, radishes, salads, chard, carrots and a few apples come to garnish the 8 kg packages. With consideration of special requests. “A nurse wanted spinach that I had not necessarily planned this time but that I added. I also adapt to the desires”, explains the market gardener, who makes each week between ten and twenty baskets at 15 euros unity.
In the parking lot, in a few minutes, the carts of Gwendoline, Emilie and Colette, who have come to collect the orders for the neurology department, fill up. What intrigue the patients, surprised to meet the medical staff with such a load in the corridors of the hospital.
“It’s our way of supporting them”
The coffee makers were given to four departments of the hospital.
–
The raffle launched on the small farmers’ market on Friday evening at Richesses de la Terre, for the benefit of hospital staff, raised around one hundred euros. With this sum, Eric Schievene decided to offer four coffee makers, and the pods that go with them, to several departments of the hospital. “The moment of coffee is a convivial moment, it is a break in the day that allows you to decompress. I thought that this could please the nurses, who really need to breathe”, underlines the market gardener. Part of it was financed by the raffle. The rest was taken care of by the Super U of Labastide-Saint-Pierre, with whom Eric Schievene collaborates. “I found the idea beautiful and it seemed natural to me to contribute to this action”, continues Patrice Marchi, the store manager.
A gesture which is meant above all to show solidarity. “It is not because we no longer applaud the nurses at the windows that we no longer think about it, says Eric Schievene. It is our way of thanking them and supporting them.”
–
