Impacted by the cessation of its activities due to confinement, Emmaüs finds itself in difficulty. The association calls for donations to continue helping the 20,000 people it helps in France.
Founded 70 years ago, the Emmaüs France association has never asked for financial assistance. Because of the two months of confinement imposed to fight against the epidemic of coronavirus, she is forced to launch a call for donations to collect 5 million euros in order to survive and continue to help the 20,000 beneficiaries in France, reports AFP.
Since the start of containment, 210 of its 289 structures have been shut down, in particular the communities of companions who collect and resell furniture, equipment, clothing, and other diverse things. Support structures for integration and assistance to over-indebted families supported by Emmaüs are also in danger, says Agence France-Presse.
This is why the association resolved, for the first time in its history, to appeal for donations. "The reality today is that we do not yet know if the Emmaüs movement will survive this crisis. We are fighting not to abandon the 20,000 people welcomed throughout the Emmaüs movement, people who have rebuilt within communities or integration structures that may lose everything a second time ", explains Valérie Fayard, deputy director of Emmaüs France at AFP. The association supports many people in precarious situations: homeless, long-term unemployed, families facing over-indebtedness, migrants, people leaving prison, Travelers, etc.
The movement was created around the values of autonomy and reconstruction through work. "We have always refused to appeal for donations of money, but faced with the social emergency, we were inspired by Father Pierre's call in 1954 to call again for an" insurrection of kindness "as he said … A wave of solidarity to defend those who need it most ", declares the general manager of Emmaus France, Jean-François Maruszyczak.
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by Mélodie Capronnier