Marauders on the move in Bagnols-sur-Cèze and Pont-St-Esprit to rescue the homeless from the extreme cold

Yasmina Barra and Philippe Perrier ready for the raid. FREE NOON – T.M.

Faced with freezing temperatures, the mobilization of the local unit of the French Red Cross in Gard Rhone did not weaken. The same goes for the Riposte association, the Samu social and the Restos du coeur, each of which works in its own way to support people without accommodation.

"Faced with the extreme cold, we are trying by all means to shelter people" declares Yasmina Barra, director of the Unit local of the French Red Cross Gard Rhone. The entity  brings together Bagnols-sur-Ceze and Pont-Saint-Esprit and mobilizes around twenty volunteers for around ten homeless people recorded in the two municipalities. "We work with 115 which is the Social Samu" specifies this lady of the field.

Active solidarity

Emergency accommodation is offered to people in very precarious situations. But not everyone always accepts this form of assistance. The destitute populations of the Gardo Rhone basin essentially live on RSA, active solidarity income. Others benefit from the disabled adult allowance via support from the MDPH, Departmental Center for Disabled Persons.

Patrols every day

The Samu social provides patrols every day. The local unit also deploys its volunteers in teams of two teammates. who do patrols once or twice a week, often on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Since retiring, Philippe Perrier has joined the ;#39;team of volunteers. On Wednesday January 10, 2024, he carried out the marauding in pairs with Yasmina Barra.

"We serve them coffee"

It’s his call to volunteer. "If anyone wants to join us, don'don’t hesitate" he says. Ready for their mission, the two teammates put on their fluorescent orange chasubles. We go to meet them to bring them what they need. They are served coffee. And above all we talk with people. It’s very important to break the loneliness a little. There is also listening"  adds Yasmina Barra.

"Hot dishes"

The maraudes also make it possible to direct those people who wish to do so towards organizations such as the municipal social action center (CCAS) or the Riposte association to carry out procedures and why not their offer a chance to bounce back. "We gently push them to move forward" insists Yasmina Barra. "We bring them what they need. This may include blankets, very warm clothing, tents and especially emergency housing."& nbsp;To eat it, the people helped receive food packages for two weeks. They can also go to Restos du Cœur. "We offer them hot dishes, raw vegetables with starter and dessert." 

Medical care

The Red Cross patrols have cards indicating the names, first names and possibly the pathologies which would require medical care for these homeless people by doctors and nurses from the Riposte association in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. "We have a day reception at the Social Center which is open in the morning or afternoon" explains this assistant from the structure management.

Terminals for recharging cell phones

The Riposte association puts ' available to people without resources to recharge their mobile phones or connect to the internet. They are also entitled to a snack. They can wash their clothes. The populations supported present different profiles. "We even have a 19-year-old. He was é rejection by his family" explains Yasmina Barra. Another example, that of this lady who wasé evicted from her HLM accommodation with her dogs due to unsanitary conditions. Since then, she has been sleeping in her car. Today, she wants to be given land to settle on. This lady is also accompanied by the Social Samu and the Emergency Unit. local French Red Cross Gard Rhone.

No accommodation for dogs

People can anonymously come to Riposte (2 rue Juiverie) for an appointment or interview with an educator. Homeless people who have dogs are not accommodated in Bagnols-sur-Ceze. They are redirected to Alès and Nimes. Anyone can call 115 to be accommodated free of charge in an emergency accommodation center. 

Response: Interprofessional network of social and territorial openness. I subscribe to read more