- The Parents Vacances association allows families in need to leave thanks to the help of owners from all over France who lend their second home safely.
- This initiative is carried out with Habitat et Humanisme Rhône, which selects families, and Europ Assistance, which provides free rental of holiday homes.
- Last year, six families from the Rhône were able to leave in this way.
"We lived ten days of calm and joy with the family". Last summer, Dritan, an Italian living in the Lyon region, was able to go on vacation with his wife and two children. A project he imagined impossible due to lack of money to plan a stay. “I had health problems, I no longer have a salary that fits. With 900 euros a month, you don't go on vacation, ”says the father.
His getaway to a small village in Hérault was made possible thanks to the Lyon-based association Parents Vacances, created a year ago to allow families in need to leave.
“The idea came to me with my wife during a meal during which our 10-year-old daughter explained to us that one of her friends hated vacations. By digging a little, we understood that this little girl stayed in her building bar and never left. We immediately thought of our second home in Hérault which could allow this family to go on vacation, ”says Bertrand Hartmann, president of the association.
Free insured rentals
To develop his idea on a large scale, he approached Habitat et Humanisme Rhône and Europ Assistance. Together, they brainstormed on a system that works. “We need owners of second homes who are willing to make their homes available to these families free of charge. It is a gesture of solidarity that costs nothing and can make a family happy, ”he adds.
To convince owners who would be reluctant to see their property degraded during rentals, the president of Parents Vacances has no shortage of arguments. “The families are selected by Habitat et Humanisme Rhône, which knows them well since they are people housed in the park of the association. People we trust. And Europ Assistance insures owners and tenants free of charge during the stay ”.
20 million French people deprived of vacation, 3 million residences
Last year, when the operation was in its infancy, six families from the Rhône were able to go on vacation thanks to word of mouth that encouraged three households to rent their homes. "This year, we are launching a broad appeal to owners from all over France so that more families can benefit from this system," emphasizes Bertrand Hartmann, convinced that this challenge is largely achievable. “There are three million second homes in France. There is plenty to do ".
To finish convincing the undecided, the association could not have found a better ambassador than Dritan. "It is truly an action of humanity on the part of the owners, which can allow people to live a dream vacation", insists the father of the family, who has settled down with his family in Bertrand's house. “We were in a romantic, beautiful setting, surrounded by greenery. The kids didn't want to get out of the pool. We discovered small villages, monuments. We couldn't have asked for more, ”added the father.
Queen, unable to leave with her three children and her partner for lack of budget, like 20 million French people, stayed for a few days in a large apartment in Serre-Chevalier, in the Hautes-Alpes. “We had never been to the mountains, it was great for our family. We walked a lot in nature, by a river, ”says the young woman, grateful. “I send my hat to the people who make their homes available to families who, like us, cannot afford to leave their homes. For that, there are no words strong enough ”.
Bertrand and his wife have fond memories of their first rentals. "We were happy to be able to share our house which we love very much", he underlines, still marked by the smile of the children who have stayed in the place.
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- leasing
- Solidarity
- Sea
- Mountain
- Summer holidays
- Society
- School vacation
- Lyon