France is becoming more and more disconcerted. And even if the coronavirus is still circulating, the caregivers, after months of hard work, take a breath. In order to continue to provide them with support and recognition, several initiatives born during confinement are continuing. Like these four initiatives from the world of sport, gastronomy and civil society, which "La France bouge" invites you to discover on Tuesday.
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A solidarity marathon
On the occasion of Olympic Day on Tuesday, the CNOSF (French National Olympic and Sports Committee) decides to pay tribute to the caregivers, the victims and the athletes impacted by the Covid-19. At the initiative of Christian Cordier, an EPS teacher teacher, the committee is organizing a solidarity marathon. The race started Tuesday morning from INSEP, in the Bois de Vincennes, towards Paris for some, Val-de-Marne for others. Six groups of sportsmen, doctors, young people and teachers of EPS participate in it and make different stops as at the committee headquarters but also in several hospitals.
"The tribute to caregivers on the day when we celebrate the values of the Olympics makes me say how important caregivers were in this delicate period [...], which earns us the deepest respect", underlines Denis Masseglia, CNOSF president, on Europe 1 Tuesday. "A whole series of demonstrations" will take place in September, "including to celebrate Olympic Day in a slightly more ostentatious way" than Tuesday, he promises to those who also wish to participate in such a demonstration of solidarity.
If the operation raises funds for caregivers like other kitchens created in this direction since the beginning of the health crisis, the objective is above all to "testify to an original operation which allows to associate the values of Olympism to the values that the nursing staff demonstrated in extremely difficult circumstances. "
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Play sports with Tous en blanc
Citizens can encourage runners in the solidarity marathon by supporting the collective "Tous en blanc", created on April 7 by 200 sports personalities and supported by L'Équipe. An initiative designed by Jauffray Dunyach, rugby player and co-founder of the startup Joinly, who wanted to "bring together the world of sport to bring a message of solidarity and support to caregivers".
Very quickly, a huge number of people provided moral support through social networks with #Tousenblanc and through a fund set up with the support of the Fondation de France. "Sportsmen like Renaud Lavillenie came to see us to tell us that they wanted to play sports, give personally and support the movement", explains Jauffray Dunyach on Europe 1 Tuesday. "So they set up sports performances and gave according to their sports performances. It was a great success," he notes.
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The "Tous en blanc" movement brings together more than four million people to date. And for Jauffray Dunyach, it is important to perpetuate this momentum of generosity. "The confinement is finished but the covid is still there, the problems of the health personnel are still there. We must continue to support them through a certain number of actions," he believes. He salutes for example the sports clubs which continue to take care of the nursing staff by giving them sports lessons to enable them to find an activity or clear their minds.
But for him, the biggest gesture we can do for caregivers now is to "play sports". "We know that sport is capable of keeping us in good health, of keeping us away from the covid. The president mentioned it, there is a need to return to play sport," he summed up.
Restaurants offer meals to caregivers
The "At the table carers" initiative, sponsored by Guillaume Gomez, the head of the Elysée Palace, was launched jointly by several restaurateurs. It makes it possible to offer lunches or dinners to caregivers in restaurants in France. 43 restaurants participate and were able to accumulate 303 tables offered. "The idea, linked with the Michelin guide, is to prepare a good menu, built with local producers", explains the starred chef Arnaud Donckele (La Vague d'Or, Cheval Blanc St Tropez, Cheval Blanc Paris). "The idea of being able to revitalize the economy through these menus that we offer to caregivers."
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This is the big day! Discover the chefs who support the initiative! You are a restaurant owner and you also want to participate? All the information is here: www.a-table-les-soignants.fr Thank you all! #mercisoignants # solidarityaveclessoignants #merci @fanny_rey_chef @jonathan_wahid @ emmanuel.renaut @yannickalleno #oliviernasti #maximemeilleur @maurocolagreco @guysavoy @lallement_arnaud @arnauddonckele @nicolas_guilloton @chophe
A publication shared by À table, les infirmants! (@atablelessoignants) June 12, 2020 at 3:40 am PDT
Customers of these restaurants can also participate in the initiative since 10% of the price of "good menus", solidarity menus, is used and accumulated with others to allow the establishment to offer a menu to caregivers. "Over four opening days, I sold twelve good menus," he illustrates. He will thus be able to accumulate the sums intended for the operation and have several meals to offer at the end of the month.
"Any restaurant can join the movement," said the chef. "Even a restaurant which, in a period of major economic difficulty for catering, offers, with enormous generosity, a simple table for two, it is an exceptional gesture", summarizes Arnaud Donckele.
Vacations for caregivers
"You care we care" was created at the end of April to help caregivers go on vacation. To participate, those who wish to offer their accommodation to caregivers for a few weeks, must simply go to the Youcarewecare.net site and fill out a form to indicate the number of weeks during which their accommodation, home for vacation, country cottage or room is available.
"Many ambassadors and owners are delighted to welcome carers to their homes in order to take care of them as they took care of us," explains Isabelle Grimaldi, spokesperson for the Youcarewecare France initiative. "About fifty volunteer ambassadors, shocked by what was happening, decided to return the favor to the carers," she adds.
Currently, more than 500 weeks are available on the site, including 100 in France, the rest in Belgium and Luxembourg, says Isabelle Grimaldi. "The next step is to speak to professionals" in the hotel industry to share the initiative with as many people as possible. In all, 331 weeks of vacation were offered and 1,007 rooms made available to nursing staff.