The social movement of the National Solidarity Night took place this Thursday evening, January 26. Several teams of volunteers spread across the entire city of Nice to support those without stable housing.
This is the second consecutive year that the City of Nice and the Communal Social Action Center (CCAS) have mobilized for the National Solidarity Night. This social movement, happening simultaneously in about forty cities, aims to count the number of homeless people and provide them with assistance and comfort. The goal is to better inform those in need and provide them with useful information about their rights. Anthony Borré, First Deputy Mayor of Nice, responsible for proximity, security, housing, and urban renewal, and Jennifer Salles Barbosa, Deputy responsible for solidarity and seniors, Vice-President of the Communal Social Action Center of the City of Nice, along with elected members of the CCAS board and its administrators, were present at this event.
City actors strongly involved
This solidarity movement involves no less than 200 people, including agents from the CCAS, as well as associative partners and volunteers mobilized for this night. Participants were divided into 26 distinct groups scattered throughout the city. The groups meet with the homeless to provide support. Coffee, snacks, hand sanitizer, masks, and an information leaflet providing crucial information to aid them were offered.
Supportive teams
We were able to follow group number 6. Walking through the streets of Nice, we observed the team’s involvement, reaching out to all the homeless people. These exchanges aim to provide some comfort, but the main goal is to count the number of people without stable housing. This allows for a comparison with last year to identify areas for improvement. This operation also serves to better identify the specific needs of different profiles encountered during the evening.
On this evening, we were fortunate to be part of the same group as Jennifer Salles Barbosa. We were able to ask her about this solidarity event.
Compared to last year, which was the first, we had no point of comparison, it was year zero. Ultimately, we couldn’t reorient ourselves, as it was the year we just observed who was on the streets.
Jennifer Salles Barbosa
Indeed, it is currently the second year of this National Solidarity Night. This second edition was an opportunity to learn more about these people in need.
This year truly serves as a test year, as this is when we’ll see the evolution. Are there more people or fewer people? Are they more located in one area or another? So, it allows us to better understand and map the city in relation to the people on the streets, and thus better redirect the policies we implement…
Jennifer Salles Barbosa
A clear and precise objective, consisting of always moving forward, and improving potential gaps for the coming years. A collective effort with numerous city players supporting this initiative.
This is how we, the CCAS, the City of Nice, but also all the associations can learn and see if there are gaps, if we can provide additional services, or if we can help them even better than what is currently being achieved.
Jennifer Salles Barbosa
This National Solidarity Night represents a major stake in the city’s social aid policy. A solidarity event bringing together various actors from Nice, all mobilized together to find concrete solutions.
