The containment started on March 17 in France, in order to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, had the consequence of greatly increasing the number of calls received by the association SOS Amitié. Thousands of French people feel lonely, distressed or even abandoned during this particular period.
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"All ages"
Everywhere in France, in the 44 associations that make up the SOS Amitié federation, calls are multiplying, and the switchboard is saturating. Unsurprisingly, the coronavirus is the main topic of conversation. "I don't even have time to hang up. There are many expressions of anxiety about becoming," says Annie, one of the volunteers. All ages are represented. "The last call I had was a 17 year old boy," she says.
Faced with this telephone influx, the 1,700 volunteers have to adapt. "We volunteers are also confined so we had to organize ourselves. During the usual weekdays we have between 6,000 and 8,000 calls. We are on a slope which will bring us to 10,000 in the next few days", explains Jean-Jacques Pirez, president of SOS Amitiés Paris Île de France.
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If you feel alone or need to speak, the SOS Amitié website offers a chat or a national phone number: 09 72 39 40 50