As in all Emmaus communities in France, the Norman companions sheltered by the humanitarian association, live on donations of objects that they retype, restore and then resell. No state or community subsidy is awarded.
The 119 Emmaüs communities in France all aim to welcome, all year round, excluded people who are looking for a place to work, to reintegrate, to rebuild themselves.
A call for national help
But, since confinement, things have become complicated and problematic.
It is prohibited to receive from the public as before and there are therefore no more donations of goods or objects, nor sales possible.
As a result, no money comes in to feed budgets.
The association therefore launched a national call for help, on its internet platforms to bail out its coffers.
Dry operating budgets
All the communities of Normandy are of course affected, such as that of Saint-Pierre-les-Elbeuf.
To support her with her 35 companions, more than 50,000 euros per month are necessary.
Chantal Vidal, the director of this Emmaüs community does not hide her concern:
” This money is used to finance projects in the community, to pay utility bills. The companions each have an allowance per week. So that, we can no longer give them either. We had to apply for a loan from the bank and there we are waiting for his agreement. But it will have to be reimbursed and the concern is that everything that is lost is also permanently lost. ”
The call for donations and the confined life at Emmaüs in St Pierre le Elbeuf –
For the moment, only associations are authorized to order furniture or household appliances for families in need.
However, these orders are made only remotely and in the form of a drive.
Companions who keep morale … together!
Fortunately, to date, the companions are not completely without activity. In reality, they also take advantage of confinement to retype the premises with, system D requires, the materials they already have on site.
So they are not idle, but they miss contact with the public, the very principle of the community.
For Dominique, for example, ” chat with people, their contact, all that, there is nothing to say, it really misses ! “
But despite everything, they also have for only advantage, the conscience to have the chance to be confined in a pleasant, extended space and especially, with several!
And for Louis, for example, it makes things a little less burdensome to bear:
“We meet, we chat, we play together. After the meal, we even have a little coffee break, it relaxes us and helps us not to feel this confinement too much”
Now, cloistered in their center, these 35 companions are impatiently awaiting deconfinement to resume a normal activity, both for morale and for finances.
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