When the evenings are cold and one isn’t quite sure where to go to spend the night, a hearty meal in a warm place does wonders.
If, in addition, this takes place in a friendly setting, with people who smile at you instead of looking at you as if you were an outcast, it’s all the better.
Sometimes, more than just filling your stomach (which is also not insignificant), it’s better to have a bit of human warmth and feel regarded as a normal person.
If Christmas is a happy event for many of us, people in precarious situations or without stable housing feel even more marginalized.
“There are nearly 1,000 people in Nice living in precarious conditions,” says Joëlle Martinaux, the deputy mayor in charge of social action. She also reminds us that 16% of the population of Nice lives below the poverty line.
Thus, the Directorate of Social Action and Disability of the City of Nice, the Municipal Center for Social Action, and associations working daily against precariousness have come together to offer everyone a Christmas meal punctuated with various activities.
Nearly 200 people (men, women, and, sadly, young children) filled the hall of the Jorge François Center, led by the emblematic Father Gil Florini.
As part of the “Gym Solidaire OGC Nice-CCAS-Inter Secours Nice” partnership program, three OGC Nice players—Alassane Plea, Ricardo, and Arnaud Souquet—accompanied by their President, Jean-Pierre Rivère, were also present to engage with the guests.
Autographs, souvenir photos galore, and a generous distribution of tickets to attend the Nice-Dijon match, which will take place next Sunday at the Allianz Riviera.
A presence and gesture that deserves to be highlighted.
The evening will conclude with the traditional distribution of gifts: The Salvation Army will offer thermos bottles to the homeless, and the Léo Club Nice will distribute toys to the children.
Proof, if any were needed, that solidarity and generosity manifest in all areas and can intersect for all human causes.
