At Secours populaire de Bagnols, we are worried about “inflation and the decrease in European donations”

Jean-Pierre Abbas, le nouveau secrétaire général de l'antenne bagnolaise du Secours populaire, entouré d'un bénévole, Eric, et d'Agnès Giffard, trésorière, devant la boutique solidaire de Bagnols-sur-Cèze. C.B.

The local branch of Secours populaire in Bagnols-sur-Cèze welcomes more and more families who need food packages.

Since he moved from Restos du coeur to Secours populaire, Jean-Pierre Abbas has taken stock of what awaits him in his new task as head of the Secours populaire. #39;Bagnolaise antenna."It's the same… We see the misery of the world" he notes. “Welcomed” people who struggle to make ends meet. "What hurts my heart the most are these elderly people who can't do it even though they have worked for forty years".

Like this Bagnolaise who turned to Secours populaire because with her survivor's pension, she is barely able to pay her rent and her charges, & ;quot;he only has a few cents left at the end of the month" testifies Agnès Giffard, treasurer and multi-tasker of the charitable association for nine years. 

"We give emergency packages to hungry people"

"It's terrible to say no to people who are a little beyond the means scale" underlines Jean-Pierre Abbas. "When a person arrives and is hungry, we give emergency packages". On the other hand, the solidarity grocery store, the second-hand clothing store on rue Garidel-Alègre and the Secours populaire flea market on rue Léon-Fontaine are open to everyone. nbsp;world. "At the grocery store, they have very low prices, but yet people discuss them" regrets Jean-Pierre Abbas.

"They don't understand that it is thanks to the revenue from our sales that we can continue to distribute parcels, that we pay the rent for our premises, i.e. 1500 € per month, that we pay our expenses, the fuel for our three trucks which run to collect or deliver furniture, that we can help young people to register in a club of sports by giving them 50 euros for their license… " he lists. "We don't just work with donations. We also buy food to supplement donations and what Europe gives us. The Secours populaire team must face inflation and at the other end of the chain, there are more and more families who have ;nbsp;need parcel".    

Solidarity actions which could not work without donations of clothing, furniture, foodstuffs… But the Secours populaire team is worried, 'Food donations from Europe are decreasing. Recently, I ordered 500 kg but we only got 900 kg, while requests are increasing" underlines Agnès Giffard. "We will be forced to buy what Europe no longer supplies". The other area of ​​concern is also the lack of volunteers. “There are 35 of us but that's not enough. We are calling for volunteers!". 

Popular relief, 17 rue Garidel-Alègre. Such. 04 66 89 19 77. I subscribe to read more