Attracted by the association's poster while shopping in the city center of Évreux (Eure), an 80-year-old man approaches, looking for an attentive ear. He then confides his problem, experienced as an impasse. In April, worried about not seeing him anymore, unaware that he was hospitalized, his neighbors called the firefighters. They break a window to enter his home. Six months later, the repairs have still not been carried out, his insurance has not responded and, as winter approaches, the air entering his home is increasingly cold. Facing him, this October 26, is Émile Blondet, referent of the Popular Public Service association. After listening to his interlocutor, “in a situation of very strong isolation”, he immediately takes the first steps. “I wrote to his lessor and his insurer. I also reported his case to the Évreux municipal social action center,” explains this 30-year-old volunteer.
Supporting people in difficulty, precarious, who do not know who to turn to, in their administrative or banking procedures for example, this is the raison d'être of this association founded by the deputy (PS) of Eure Philippe Brun, and which organized its first office on October 26. “Faced with the observation that physical reception centers are disappearing: post offices, counters of the Family Allowance Fund, Social Security, etc., we decided this fall to help people fill out their papers in an associative framework, open to all and completely free,” he summarizes.
Among the twenty volunteers who provided three shifts in one month in Évreux (Eure), and helped around twenty people, there were both former retired civil servants and young workers from the private sector. “We offer training to volunteers so that they acquire the necessary knowledge. And above all, everyone helps each other within the team to provide people with the most effective response possible,” explains Philippe Brun.
Would the MP, who refused the post of Budget Minister in September, not have found within the government the best lever to try to stop the disappearance of public services? “Most certainly,” he replies, “but not with Michel Barnier, whose roadmap consisted of finding 60 billion euros in savings. »
After continuing its meetings in Évreux, scheduled one to three times a month, the Popular Public Service association is now extending to other regions. A first experiment was attempted this Tuesday, November 26 in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (Val-de-Marne). Another is scheduled for December 7 in Mâcon (Saône-et-Loire).
“We receive calls from mayors and individuals who wish to open hotlines in their homes. We try to send them someone from our team to train people on site,” relates Émile Blondet. “We have so many demands that we will have to manage this growth. »
