Food aid, to go on vacation, for accommodation… The range of Secours populaire interventions is wide. The association took stock on Saturday October 12.
730 volunteers, 22 reception desks spread across eight committees, four employees. This is what Secours populaire represents on the scale of Loiret.
Its general meeting was held this Saturday, October 12, at the Printing Workshop-Museum in Malesherbes, in the north of the department. As its director Nicolas Jaffré recalled, within the association, “we don’t just do food and clothes!”
“It’s not because we are poor that we have to settle for junk food”: at the heart of the Secours populaire market in Saran
Even if food aid is indeed an important part of its activity: over one year, nearly 10,000 people were supported at this level. Between September 2023 and September 2024, this represents an increase of 4.5%.
Food aid comes through parcels, but also the Pop’Solidaires markets organized once a month, “where we sell fruits and vegetables at 50 cents per kilo, which we buy from local producers.” They have taken place in recent months in Orléans, Pithiviers, Neuville-aux-Bois… for beneficiaries.
Fewer products to distribute
If demand is always greater at this level, Secours populaire has fewer products to distribute due to inflation and “collections (from supermarkets, Editor’s note) from which we recover less and less unsold items.”
“Allow children not to look at the tips of their shoes at the start of the school year”: destination the Sea of Sand for 370 people from Loiret
Beyond that, the association allowed hundreds of beneficiaries to go on vacation. “1,472 people were helped,” explains Nicolas Jaffré. Last summer, as part of the Holiday Forgotten Day, an outing took place at the Mer de sable, in Oise. Funding was provided for participation in camps and camping trips. Beneficiaries were able to attend Olympic and Paralympic Games events.
Volunteers from the association gathered this Saturday in Malesherbes.
On the housing side, Secours populaire can also provide support to help settle unpaid rent and energy bills. But “we are overwhelmed by the demands”, recognizes the director, who also wants to emphasize the social link with the Solidaribus tours.
“Precariousness is intensifying”: in the Loiret, the beneficiaries of Secours populaire, ever more numerous, number in the thousands
In 2025, which will be the 80th anniversary of Secours populaire, the association will have a budget of around 890,000 euros to continue its actions.
Aurélie Richard
