The Restos du coeur truck is there, outside “the sports hall” as the regulars call it. Since June, it is in this small municipal hall, located rue des Sports in Laval, that the charitable association founded by Coluche has distributed a complete meal every Sunday to those in need.
The only meal of the day
“We can go up to fifty people, says Phillipe Leroy, the driver of the Restos truck which crisscrosses the city from Monday to Friday, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For some, the meal served here will be the only one of the day. » On the Sunday menu, vegetable soup, duck mousse toast, a homemade sandwich made by volunteers with a packet of chips, cheese, dairy products. Pastries collected from the apprentice training center are also distributed.
“The idea is that they leave with a few things to get them through the evening, adds Aurore Esnault, volunteer at the Restaurants and coordinator on Sundays. There are people who don't have papers, retirees who no longer have the means, single mothers with children. Those who come here, we don't necessarily see them the rest of the week. They know it's more casual. On Sunday, we have time to talk, to give ideas. »
“In the long run, you make friends”
Béatrice, 40, learned of the existence of this meeting through 115. She came with her one and a half month old baby, little Raphaël. “We are all in a complicated situation, acquiesce-t-elle. It feels good to talk, to not stay isolated. »
“It’s friendly, appreciates Sonia, 48 years old. We tell each other about our lives, some find accommodation. We're happy for them when it happens. » This mother of three girls aged 11, 13 and 17 is taking a breather. She found temporary accommodation for the month using 115, the social emergency number. She found herself homeless following a separation. “I made my way. We are still lucky to be French. It’s more complicated for people without papers,” she puts it into perspective.
This Sunday meeting regular likes to see the same faces there. “In the long run, you make friends. Aurore for example, I have known her for years, note Sonia. She's more than a friend. She helped me morally. She was there when I lost my home. When it happens to you… I dragged my daughters into this even though they didn't ask for anything. That's what hurts the most. »
A need to talk
This Sunday boost was defended by the president of Restos du coeur de la Mayenne, Christian Mignon, salutes Philippe Leroy. “There was a real lack, he regrets. We were able to put this together thanks to a partnership with the Food Bank and the Red Cross. The City made this room available to us. We have a coffee there, we talk about everything and nothing. They escape a little, confide in their journey. There is a need to speak. The street is violent. It's not what we think. Sometimes it doesn't come right away. Some fell into the streets for little. »
The truck of the heart, every Sunday, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the room located at the end of rue des Sports, in Laval.
