Since 1is July 2024, the Isère food bank (BAI) fully benefits from its new premises fitted out Fontaine. These two buildings – a 3,000 m warehouse2 and a tertiary building of just over 500 m2 – were officially inaugurated Tuesday November 19, 2024, in the presence of volunteers and employees of the association and funding partners.
The Department invested 4.8 million euros in the acquisition of new premises for the Isère Food Bank
Starting with the Department of Isère which unanimously by departmental advisors, in December 2023, made theacquisition of the site for an amount of 4.8 million euros. Jean-Pierre Barbier, the president of the Department, recalled during the inauguration that he was personally committed to the association, knowing that he could count on the support of his majority. As a bonus, he had the support of opposition elected officials.
If the Department has embarked on this acquisition project in favor of this association in particular, it is because it shines at the departmental level. But, President Barbier immediately tempered, addressing those in charge of the Isère Food Bank:
“Your luck is that you came to see me last year. If you had come to see me this year, given the budgetary constraints weighing on the backs of communities after the tightening we had at the national level – local authorities were made responsible for the State deficit, which is scandalous – my answer, unfortunately, would have been different. And then, the State, which makes us responsible for the deficit. , I tend to send him back in his goals by telling him: assume your skills and don't come and ask local authorities to take on a certain number of things and then reproach them that they are nasty spenders.”
The Food Bank was also able to benefit from financial support from the Region (500,000 euros) from Grenoble Alpes Métropole (100,000 euros), from the French Federation of Food Banks and patrons to finance the 850 000 euros of development work et of equipment premises which took place between February and the end of June 2024.
The number of beneficiaries has doubled over the past ten years in Isère
The reasons for the urgent need for these new premises lie both in the strong augmentation of the activity and therefore of number of beneficiaries and in the need to ensure security conditions for ten employees and the 200 volunteers of the association. In Sassenage, where the association was based since 1996, the 1,300 m2 had become largely insufficient.
“Every week, 10,000 beneficiaries receive a package of six kg of food and/or hygiene productsrecalls Philippe Guérin, vice-president of the Food Bank. In 2023, the association collected and distributed 2,700 tonnes of food (equivalent to 5.4 million meals), an increase of +23%. We have seen a doubling of the number of our beneficiaries over the past ten years and an increase of +25% since 2022. Things are not getting better…”
The association plans, within a year and a half, to be able to benefit from a warehouse in the North Isère to facilitate the work of volunteers in this part of the department and to be more present. “Particularly in the Vienne and Roussillon sector where we need to find more CCAS and partner associations because it is a sort of white zone with little food aid even though the needs exist”, comments Eric Lavis, new president of the Isère Food Bank since last October who succeeded Françoise Dessertine, keystone of the new site in Fontaine with Bernard Perry, former president of the BAI.
A social grocery store for students has just opened in Grenoble
In addition, the Food Bank has opened, since November 5, 2024, a social grocery store (Aesop Ray 38) in favor of students at 11, rue Guétal, in Grenoble. “We have already welcomed 330 students and 400 applications have just been submitted”noted Eric Lavis.
The association also hopes, within two to three years, to be able to transfer in Fontaine, within its new premises, the kitchen Three solidarity starslocated within the Marc-Sangnier college in Seyssins. “We would go from 120 m2 currently at 380 m2 tomorrow, which would allow us to increase production capacity.” Currently, Three Stars Solidaires produces 1,000 meals per day in the form of meals prepared in trays.
Food collection from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 November: objective 200 tonnes
Of Friday 22 to Sunday 24 November 2024the Food Bank is organizing its big national collection in 8,000 points of sale in France with the aim of collecting 10,000 tonnes of food (equivalent to 20 million meals), or 10% of the association's annual resources. In Isère, volunteers hope to collect at least as much as last year: 200 tons.
