France: the Restos du Cœur launch their summer campaign, which has become “vital” this year

Pushed towards precariousness, more and more students find themselves at the Restos du Coeur.

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In France, the Restos du Cœur are launching their summer campaign this Friday, March 5, 2021 with three days of events and food collection.

In 2019-2020, the association served more than 136 million meals.

She expects to have to use much more under the effects of the health crisis.

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This year, the national collection takes on a “

 vital 

dimension

given the health and economic crisis which should result in a “ 

significant increase 

” in beneficiaries of food and hygiene products.

This collection in supermarkets, which will end on Sunday evening, " 

is all the more important this year as the context is uncertain and we are emerging from a very very complicated year

 ", according to the president of the association.

This year we did a small flash survey of the people we welcome and 15% of them told us that they pushed open the door of Restaurants, but they did so directly because of the consequences of the health crisis. and social on their own situation.

Patrice Douret, President of Restos du Cœur

The crisis engendered by Covid-19 has plunged many people into precariousness, especially students, with long queues in front of food aid distribution centers in Paris and other cities in France.

According to a study published in February, more than 2.1 million people are benefiting from food aid at the start of 2021 and more than half (51%) of those helped say they have been using it for less than a year. .

► To read also: The Covid puts the Restos du Cœur in tight flow

During the previous campaign in 2020 the association had collected 7,400 tonnes of food, the equivalent of 7 million meals.

A goal that she hopes to exceed this year.

Born from an idea of ​​Coluche 35 years ago, the " 

Restos 

" must also deal with 4 to 5 million euros of lost earnings linked to the loss of ticketing revenues - the annual concert of the Enfoirés which brings together many stars on stage, are replaced this year by a simple TV broadcast due to the coronavirus epidemic.

So many less meals.  

► To read also: In France, more than half of the poor are under 30 years old

(with AFP)

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