A line that kept getting longer this Tuesday lunchtime. In front of the Château-Gombert university restaurant (13th), the news of a free Christmas meal quickly spread among the students. And during this period “where we count every expense“, lunch”is good for the stomach as well as the morale“, we describe along the long tables set up on the campus terrace.
Thanks to a partnership between the City and the Crous (Regional Center for University and School Works) Aix-Marseille-Avignon, some 5,000 meals were offered to Marseille students on Tuesday, December 17, for “deal with student precariousness but also share a moment of solidarity“.
“The ambition here is to respond to a needasks Aurélie Biancarelli-Lopes, deputy mayor in charge of student life. We would like to encourage cultural practice or sport. But we must first manage the emergency, fight against the precarious situations that some students experience… Offering a meal makes it possible to deal with this precariousness, while promoting the work of the Crous teams. And then, student life isn’t just about difficulties, it’s also about sharing a good time with your classmates.“
20,000 free meals distributed last year
This operation is made possible by a municipal subsidy of 200,000 euros to the Crous, which notably financed the establishment of free meals on Tuesday evenings at the university restaurant on rue Sénac (1st), or the year-round rental of five accommodations in Cité U, to provide emergency accommodation for street students. Of all the measures carried out jointly by the Crous and the City, nearly 20,000 meals were distributed free of charge last year. “Our role is to contribute to improving the quality of life of studentscontinues Marc Bruant, general director of Crous Aix-Marseille-Avignon. With the €1 meal in all our restaurants – subject to means testing, compared to €3.30 at the normal price – but also these free festive meals, we try to offer something extra to students and do our best to improve their conditions. reception.“Each year, 3 million meals come out of university restaurants for the 120,000 students of the Aix-Marseille academy.
Restaurants that remain “the best value for money“for many students and”a good way to limit expenses“. “Student jobs are not common and budgets are tight for everyonesays Walid, 23 years old, in L3 of Engineering Sciences. The holidays are approaching and I won’t be able to return to my family given the price of tickets. A meal like today is good to eat and allows you to share a good time.“If during these end-of-year holidays, the university restaurants will be closed, Marc Bruant assures that”students who are unable to join their families and must remain alone on campus will be able to take advantage of the social workers available throughout the holiday period, to support those who feel most in difficulty“.
