The Mende solidarity grocery store has acquired an electric car to develop a traveling component in Lozère

Laurent Brager veut que l’épicerie solidaire puisse aller à la rencontre de ceux qui ne peuvent pas venir à elle. Midi Libre – Anaïs Da Silva

L’épicerie solidaire veut se donner les moyens d’atteindre des personnes qui ne peuvent pas se déplacer jusqu’à Mende. La première ville visée est Marvejols.

"In 2023, we helped 2 189 people, or 80 households, indicates Laurent Brager, president of the  ;rsquo;solidarity grocery store in Mende. This is 12% more compared to the previous year." This association, established for nine years in the prefectural city, is the only one that offers participatory food aid in the department. "The beneficiaries pay 10 % of the price on foodstuffs and 30 % for cleaning or hygiene products&quot ;, explains the president of the association.

An investment of 45 000 €

For the year 2024, the association has two specific objectives: increase the share of organic food offered and develop a traveling component. To help a larger number of people, the grocery store has invested 45,000 euros. in an electric car and a charging station. "The idea is to give ourselves the means to reach people who cannot come to our premises , underlines Laurent Brager. We chose an electric vehicle to limit our expenses."

The 2023 financial aid made it possible, a month ago, to finance this new means of transport. The Occitanie Region, the National Association for the Development of Solidarity Groceries and the Regional Directorate of the Economy, Employment, Labor and Solidarity (Dreets) subsidized the project.

"We will examine the Marvejols sector"

To launch this new delivery system, the solidarity grocery store in Mende defines, with social workers, the sectors to target. "We will first examine the Marvejols sector, specifies the president of the association. It’is a city which is not very difficult to serve, which is vast, but without being too vast." Currently, they estimate they can reach around twenty additional applicants in Marvejols.

Plan for more supplies

More beneficiaries also means more supply. If in 2023, the solidarity grocery store spent nearly 28,000 euros on the purchase of food, in 2024, this value will practically double. "Currently, we have already helped 60 active households even though we are not even halfway through the year. For example, to supply the 41 active households in April, we had a bill of 3 600 €" , declares Laurent Brager. Over twelve months, this would amount to 43 200 € to be expected for supply.

The Mende solidarity grocery store is organizing an electronic collection at Hyper U, this Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8, 2024. Customers can scan a two-euro voucher, at the checkout, which will be distributed at the store. rsquo;entrance to the shopping center by volunteers. The amount collected will be used to buy food. I subscribe to read more