2023-05-10 08:12:36
Although the sun is shining on this Tuesday, the misery does not seem less painful in the sun. A strange motorhome stops in the market place of Patay (Loiret). It is the Solidaribus of Secours Populaire. He parks here once a month to bring aid to the most precarious who cannot afford to go to the food distribution branches located in the surrounding towns. Each time, he travels the roads to go to seven other municipalities located in rural areas.
Because with galloping inflation, the situation of precarious people living in the countryside has worsened, notes Jean-Pierre, a volunteer for two years: “Every time we come here, new people ask for our help”. “And in recent years, the poorest people have come to settle in villages or small towns, because rents in town and in the suburbs were no longer affordable,” adds Georges, a volunteer for ten years at the Secours populaire.
A contribution of 60 cents is requested
It is 2 p.m., Jean-Pierre and Georges set up tables in front of the bus to offer clothes at very low prices. A woman comes quietly. “The town hall told me that you could help me,” breathes Flora*, intimidated. Jean-Pierre immediately invites him to enter the Solidaribus, away from prying eyes. After putting her at ease, he asks her a few questions about her financial situation. “I was a cleaner, then I burned out. I no longer have any right to unemployment, I do not yet touch the RSA. So there is nothing left on my account and I have late rent, ”she says.
And to find a small job in packaging or cleaning, it’s a crossroads: “It has to be near here, because of the gasoline. Last time, my aunt filled me up. But often, I am blocked, ”she says. Faced with such distress, Jean-Pierre immediately put Flora on the list of beneficiaries who can pick up supplies each month from the Solidaribus. “We calculate the rest of a person’s living and if it is less than 12 euros, we register it”, he describes.
Neither one nor two, Georges and another volunteer rush to the cans of converse and bricks of milk to design an emergency basket for him. “Usually, we ask for a participation of 60 cents, but here we are not going to do it”, explains Jean-Pierre. “That’s nice,” murmurs Flora, who leaves with a little more courage in her heart.
“Taking the first step was hard. We have our pride”
It is now the turn of David*, 39, to board the Solidaribus. “It’s starting to go uphill. I landed a fixed-term contract for a month and a half to harvest the asparagus,” he announces. It must be said that lately, he has sailed from galley to galley: “I lost my licence, so in the countryside, without a car, it’s not even worth it”. David still managed to do a few seasonal jobs when his parents could do the taxi. The rest of the time, he lived with his RSA of 523 euros per month.
This is the third time he has come to Solidaribus. “Taking the first step was hard. We have our pride,” he says. A hesitation shared by many: “At the beginning, when we installed the Solidaribus in Patay, no one dared to come. People were perhaps afraid that their neighbors would learn of their difficulties. And even today, it is difficult to reach certain categories, such as retirees, who are reluctant to get help, ”says Georges.
“In our situation, we need to talk”
No respite for the team of volunteers who then welcomed Simone, staying with her eldest son with her two youngest children after a breakup. “With the Secours Populaire food parcel, I can last 10 days,” she says. Then, it is Martine* who settles down. “Do you want a tea or a coffee? asks Jean-Pierre. Because the Solidaribus is also a place of sociability. “In our situation, we need to talk. I have no leisure, so I’m happy they’re here,” confides Martine, on disability. When she paid her 650 euros in charges per month, she didn’t have much left.
So packages of pasta, cakes, tins and cleaning products are really welcome. A new beneficiary arrives. She is disabled and has a dependent child. She thinks she can work again soon. “Our help is supposed to be punctual,” continues Georges. But very often, the situation of people does not evolve positively. So we support them for the long term”.
“There, with inflation, it’s worse”
Simone*, an elegant blond lady, also knocks on the door of the Solidaribus. With her 300 euros retirement pension and her 600 euros solidarity allowance for the elderly, she is finding it increasingly difficult to get by. Once his rent of 410 euros has been paid, it’s a balancing act to end the month. “Already, during the Covid-19 crisis, everything was more expensive at the only supermarket in the area. But there, with inflation, it’s worse. I dig into the store’s short-dated products. The association’s package helps me keep going without going into debt,” she says, putting her 60 cents contribution on the table.
It is 5 p.m., the Solidaribus should break camp. But two usual recipients did not show up. Jean-Pierre calls them. Volunteers will work an extra hour to help them. They are waiting for one in the square, and are going to take a package to another’s home. “If we can help them, why not? asks George.
#left #account #overdue #rent