VSIt wasn’t much. It only took him “4 minutes 12”. But for the neighbor to whom he lent a hand, it was not nothing. Olivier Herlin, installed in the center of Surgères, went home last week to unclog his gutter: the owner could not take care of it himself, having no ladder and above all, suffering from vertigo. The two men were put in touch via the town hall. “It made me happy and allowed me to meet a charming neighbour. We resumed…
VSIt wasn’t much. It only took him “4 minutes 12”. But for the neighbor to whom he lent a hand, it was not nothing. Olivier Herlin, installed in the center of Surgères, went home last week to unclog his gutter: the owner could not take care of it himself, having no ladder and above all, suffering from vertigo. The two men were put in touch via the town hall. “It made me happy and allowed me to meet a charming neighbour. We have since resumed coffee together. »
Olivier Herlin is one of nearly 900 people registered for Civic Hour in Charente-Maritime, an initiative led by the association Voisins solidaires, which has made a simple question its slogan: “And if I gave one hour a month to help a neighbor ? »
According to its creator, Atanase Périfan, the first tourist department on the Atlantic coast is the one with the best dynamics. “It’s a crazy thing what’s happening at home”, repeats at will this iconoclastic character with the bagou of camelot and to whom we owe the Neighbors Day. It is true that not a day goes by without the announcement of a new member municipality. Saturday, in Saint-Georges-d’Oléron, a town where he has a residence, he met a dozen people who had recently rallied to his cause.
No commitment
Like many of those around her that day, Micheline, retired from National Education, never took the plunge into volunteering, “for fear of not being able to keep my commitments”. It is that with six grandchildren, she is quickly requisitioned and her weeks can suddenly be turned upside down. “But occasionally, I can run an errand, help with the maintenance of a garden, bring a meal, I will gladly do so. “Same thing for Stéphane, a retired soldier, very invested in tennis “but who still has a little time to give here and there”. Chantal thinks of a mother in pain, unable to drive her children to school or take care of them: “If it’s punctual, I’m ready to help. »
Beyond the pleasure of being of service, I like the subliminal message behind this initiative: let’s stop being afraid of our neighbours”
Civic Hour federates on one observation: the French are always ready to help but they do not wish to be bound by a commitment. “Help between neighbors has always existed and it still exists where people know each other. Except that we know each other less and less, observes Olivier Herlin. Beyond the pleasure of being of service, I like the subliminal message behind this initiative: let’s stop being afraid of our neighbours. The era is one of general distrust except that on closer inspection, we have no reason to be wary of the people who live around us. The majority of people around us are not twisted. Confidence generates confidence. »
Make sense
However, the device has provided a safeguard. If anyone can offer their services, the municipalities serve as intermediaries. It is the town halls that identify the needs and ensure the connection. To date, 45 municipalities have joined, as well as the Charente-Maritime Departmental Council and the social landlord Habitat 17. “The health crisis has shown three things, points out Atanase Périfan. One, that we could all be affected. Two, that social distancing is just plain awful. Three, that we all need to feel useful. »
In the ranks of the members, this last point often comes up. “Before, I had a professional activity that took up all my time. I didn’t have time for anything else,” Nathalie shares. The Covid does not explain everything “but when time stopped, I had time to ask myself THE question: what is my life? ” Her introspection led her to quit her job, move to the island of Oléron and review her priorities: “Changing your life also means bringing my time, my form, my good humor to someone one who needs, at some point. Elisabeth says more or less the same thing. For a long time, she had the role of family caregiver. Today, she wishes to be able to bring a little comfort to people suffering from loneliness: “Communication is essential and seeing that it allows the other to get better is a gift. We must not believe, it’s selfish: we receive more than we give. Basically, I only give what I would like to receive later. »