A new stage for the Notre-Dame de la Délivrande convent, in Saint-Martin-d’Hères, near Grenoble. four dominican sisterswho live on site, will soon be joined by the association l’Etoile du berger. It plans to open a day center for victims of domestic violence by the end of the year. The employees and volunteers will be installed in part of the ground floor of the convent house. The latter has just been selected by the Sésame prize of the Fondation du patrimoine and will receive aid from 20 000 euros to carry out renovation and development work on the site.
“The large kitchen, for example, will be transformed into an office with listening boxes. There will be psychologists, a social worker, but also a specialist educator or a lawyer on site.”explains Astrid le Menestrel, the president of the association, who she herself was a victim of violence in his past.
“I wanted a place with a large garden, big enough to receive and accompany at the same time parents and children. We would not suspect that here, there could be a project to help people escape violence, so the reassuring aspect was also important.”
Raphael Aubry
Work to begin in September
At least 100,000 euros of work are planned in the building, built in the late 19th century. They are scheduled to begin in September. Most of the space is currently unoccupied by the Dominican sisters, whose numbers have been decreasing over the years. “We made the decision in 2017 to get rid of this property. It was no longer up to date for us. We had to consider something else, but with a focus on the family”underlines Sister Marie-Thérèse Clément, the prioress general of the convent of Notre Dame de la Délivrande in Saint-Martin-d’Hères.
The Etoile du Berger association will be able to accommodate 140 adults and 280 children the first year of opening of the reception center. It then plans to continue to develop. Until then, the first stage of the work will be financed by private funds and with the help of the Heritage Foundation.
Raphael Aubry
Raphael Aubry
