The fire in six refrigerated trucks from the Gard Food Bank on the night of November 27 to 28 triggered massive support from communities, associations and structures.
Following the fire in the car fleet of the Gard Food Bank, a major mobilization began in the department. Fourteen intermunicipalities (Nîmes Métropole, Alès Agglomération, the Gard Rhone Agglomeration, Beaucaire Terre d'Argence, the Pays d'Uzès, Rhony Vistre Vidourle, Petite Camargue, the Pays de Sommières, the Pont du Gard community of communes, Piedmont Cévennes, Land of Camargue, From Cèze Cévennes, the Pays Viganais and Causses Cévennes Aigoual) have announced that they will mobilize resources to the tune of €100,000.
IFME students respond
For its part, the Usam handball club, a long-time partner of the Food Bank, paid tribute to the work of the volunteers, led by Joseph Pronesti, who was on the floor of Parnasse before the kick-off of the match against Toulouse. On the occasion of the derby against Montpellier in the Coupe de France, on December 10, the “green team” will organize a raffle, all of the proceeds of which will be donated to the Food Bank.
And to help sell raffle tickets, IFME students were present alongside the association's volunteers. A gesture that takes on its full meaning for Yannick Moreau: “Last year, the Food Bank opened a solidarity grocery store in our country in the face of a real observation of student precariousness, explains the director of IFME. A very strong bond was therefore formed between us and we were very impacted by the disaster which affected them. Especially since the previous week, 200 of our students participated, with volunteers, in the national collection.” IFME, through its management association, APAFASE, has therefore decided to act on two levels. “My president, Olivier Jeanne, has decided to give a check for €5,000 to the Food Bank. And our students will therefore be at Parnasse to help sell the raffle tickets.” A rare form of mutual aid, but one that lives up to the importance of the Food Bank: “We are going to do work to expand the grocery store within the IFME, adds Yannick Moreau. Today, it is only open on Mondays, but is already attended by 200 of our 600 students. And we know that this is a very low figure because many do not dare to take the plunge to ask for help…”
Passion ball and CCAS
And because there is no small donation, but above all beautiful stories, the “Boule passion Nîmoise” also put its hand in its pocket: while the pétanque club will participate in the Telethon with a competition organized on the 14th December at the Estanque bowling alley, president Roselyne Vierneom has just presented a check for €312 to the Food Bank (fruit of a donation from the club and money collected at the bowling alley).
Midi Libre – D.R.
Finally, the City of Nîmes, through its CCAS, which will vote for this exceptional subsidy on December 16, will donate €10,000 to the structure affected by the fire. “As soon as I learned of this terrible fire, I wanted to show the solidarity of the City of Nîmes to the Gard Food Bank and its president Joseph Pronesti who do remarkable work in the department,” commented Mayor Jean-Paul Fournier.
