Enter Ali Baba’s cave in Emmaus, near Rouen: “There are real nuggets!”

Emmaus, the kings of recycling! TO Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville, near Rouen (Seine-Maritime), the community of 50 companions receives the odds and ends of the inhabitants of the agglomeration six days a week. For this fifth part of our series presenting behind the scenes and the functioning of places in Rouen and its suburbs, we went to visit the impressive Emmaus donation depot.

The depot part occupies a large part of the community – all the right part of the land -, the rest being shared between stores, sales areas, housing for the 50 companions, a vegetable garden and a canteen.

From 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday, cars parade in front of the Emmaus depot quay. “People deposit everything,” says Stipo, co-head of the community. We accept anything in good condition except tires, gas cylinders, weapons, fuels, and VHS tapes. It would be an additional workload for us to evacuate them to a recycling center. “

Two to four companions take turns to welcome the new gifts. “We receive a lot of clothes, books, toys, trinkets, crockery, furniture…”, indicates a companion. Upon receipt, each donation finds its place in a large hangar of approximately 120 m², before being sorted.

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A reintegration path

As a reminder, Emmaus welcomes men and women from all walks of life, as part of an unconditional welcome. Once within the walls of the community, these people become companions and companions. Often coming from difficult journeys, these people find a certain taste for life by coming to settle in Emmaüs. “The community makes it possible to“ restore health ”, to find the benchmarks of an organized social life. It brings pride in feeling useful again, and gives meaning to life by putting itself at the service of the most disadvantaged, thanks to the many solidarity actions carried out ”, presents Emmaüs France.

In partnership with other associations, Emmaüs also offers companions reintegration programs so that Emmaus is only a passage to put their lives back in working order. “But everyone stays as long as they want, there is no rule. No one is paid here, but everyone is fed, housed and laundered, ”concludes Stipo.

To keep the huge site running, around thirty volunteers come to lend a hand to the companions. Retirees, students and also employees thus contribute to missions, in particular sorting, one of the heaviest workloads, in the various hangars of the community of Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville.

Important sorting work

“Here on the left, it’s the toys,” Stipo presents, pointing to a mountain of children’s games several meters high. Over there, it’s the books, basically the clothes, here, the lights… ”

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Everything is well organized even if in each space, it is an unnamed bazaar. This is normal, the little hands of companions and volunteers have not yet gone through this. “Here, we do a lot of sorting,” Stipo emphasizes.

For example, in the book sorting room, Patrick, a volunteer, comes once a week to choose the most beautiful books and then put them on sale in the stores, located on the Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville site but also at the Petit-Quevilly and in the very recent boutique in the Grand-Mare district in Rouen.

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“I myself am a book collector, I love it,” says Patrick with passion. Every day we get a lot of books. First, I select all those that are in good condition and we send all those that are damaged for recycling. Then, the valuable or really beautiful ones are set aside for special sales. “

Knowing how to surround yourself with experts

Several times a quarter, Emmaüs organizes special sales on themes. “We choose the themes according to the arrivals,” says Stipo. At the moment, we have a special sale on leather goods and jewelry. Then, we will have the big sales on the first weekend of December for Christmas… ”For these sales, volunteers and companions put aside the nuggets found in this veritable cave of wonders. “The special sales are definitely worth it, don’t miss them and I advise you to get there early,” smiles a volunteer.

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“We sometimes find books of great value dating from the thirteenth^e century which are in very good condition that can be resold at a very good price. These can be of interest to collectors, antique dealers, booksellers…, assures Patrick. But to spot these rare books, you have to be a connoisseur. “” That’s why we try to surround ourselves with passionate volunteers. In this room, for example, clocks and cameras are selected, repaired and restored by two connoisseurs, continues Stipo. One is a retired watchmaker and the second a keen photographer. “

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A gold mine for filming

Emmaüs also works with the world of artists, whether for filming or plays. Étienne, volunteer and decorator, came to select several set elements for an upcoming shoot. “Today, I come as a decorator, I come to look for furniture, accessories, costumes… There are so many beautiful things that happen here, it’s a gold mine! “

Étienne also has a good knowledge of raw materials. “When I come as a volunteer, I help the companions to sort and value everything that Emmaus receives to achieve better sales,” he underlines.

Behind this first large building which receives donations, there are then several workshops. “In the home appliance workshop, we test everything: washing machines, microwaves, toasters and anything that doesn’t work is sent for recycling,” Stipo lists.

Emmaus evolves with each other’s ideas

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There is also a bicycle workshop, a mechanical workshop, a workshop for recovering copper, a workshop for repairing furniture… “Each Emmaus evolves according to the ideas of its companions and volunteers. We encourage the companions to carry out their own project according to their skills. For example, the mechanical workshop is brand new, it was set up on the initiative of a journeyman. “

At the end of the large courtyard, there are huge containers. “Anything that we cannot recover, we send for recycling in various companies or associations such as Paprec, the Relais, Véolia household appliances…, lists the co-manager of the community of Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville. There are also companions who specialize in recycling. »At Emmaus, there is room for everyone and for all skills.

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