The Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis wishes to support the Ukrainian people. To this end, it is organizing several donation drives. The city of Nice and Cannes organized such events on the weekend of February 26 and 27, 2022. In Saint-Laurent-du-Var, individuals can come and drop off their donations every day from 10 am to 5 pm at the Djibouti kindergarten.
“Even if we can just offer our time, that’s already something,” comments Béatrice Perez, one of the volunteers. Amidst plastic bags containing clothes, boxes of food, and various other bags, she helps sort through the donations brought in by residents.
“It’s important,” notes Martine Sanguinetti. Bringing donations to the center feels natural to her: “I’m used to it, it’s in my mindset! This morning, I brought warm clothes. I did some shopping for essentials. Products for washing, hand sanitizer, sanitary pads… Tomorrow I’ll come back with baby products.”
Clothing is among the frequently brought donations. “I brought clothes for women and children. I don’t need them anymore, and they might,” explains Véronique Profizi. Blankets, pillows, and warm clothing have also been donated by a resident, Martine Lazzarini.
“People easily donate clothing,” observes the volunteer. This sentiment is echoed by Thomas Berettoni, the deputy mayor of Saint-Laurent-du-Var. “Lots of clothes, foodstuffs, hygiene products, and essentials for children.” He, however, requests that priority be given to new clothes. Béatrice Perez also mentions that the latest instruction they’ve received is to ask for water.
Once received, the donations are sorted by the volunteers and then transported by city employees who load them onto pallet jacks. The transport to Ukraine will be managed by the Metropolis, explains the official.
The donation center welcomes donors all this week, but its operation could be extended if necessary. “For now, the collection is until Friday at 5 pm. If the situation evolves, there is a possibility of extending it. If there’s improvement, there’s a chance of stopping earlier,” says Thomas Berettoni.
