“We have chosen to strengthen our help for people in poor housing, for single-parent families and children,” declares the association at the launch of the new annual campaign.
Published on 19/11/2024 07:08
Reading time: 2min
These are figures that make you dizzy: 128,000 babies aged 0 to 3 years have been “accompanied“during the 39th Restos du coeur campaign in 2023-2024, indicates the association, Tuesday November 19, opening day of the 40th campaign.
It is “another increasing figure“, deplores Les Restos du coeur, for whom “it's unbearable“. “We have chosen to strengthen our assistance for people in poor housing, for single-parent families and children.“, declares the association at the dawn of a new campaign, recalling that half of the people welcomed are under 25 years old.
Restos du coeur welcomed 1.3 million people in 2023-2024, the same number as during the previous campaign: 39% are under 18 years old (including 9.85% are babies aged 0 to 3); 10% are between 18 and 24 years old; 43% are between 25 and 59 years old; 8% are over 60 years old. However, this year and for the first time in almost 40 years of history, the association had to modify the income level which qualifies for food aid. 163,000 meals were distributed in 2023-2024, compared to 171 during the previous campaign. The Restos du coeur have “refused food aid to more than 110,000 people who would have been entitled to it under the previous criteria“.
This restriction of rights allowed the association to improve its cash flow. Restos du coeur went from a forecast deficit of 35 million euros to a surplus of 22 million euros. The call for donations launched in September 2023 also bore fruit in order to avoid “to go out of business within three years“. The French donated more than 15 million euros. The State (which already usually provides 15% of the association's budget) added 8 million euros. The family of Bernard Arnault, owner of LVMH, donated 10 million euros.
