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Established throughout France, the Petits Frères des Pauvres are actively working on the ground to improve the daily lives of isolated elderly people by organizing home visits, meetings, and outings.
Approximately two million seniors suffer from isolation in France, with more than 500,000 in a state of “social death”, deprived of connections and the simple, essential pleasures of life. These alarming figures show us how crucial it is not to underestimate the support for the elderly. Co-team leader in Nice, Anaïs Merat is aware of the stakes: “Some organizations are overwhelmed. I believe our support is invaluable, especially since the post-Covid period. It has complicated and accelerated the impoverishment of more and more elderly people.“
This is how the association’s volunteers and the people under their care have together developed a support project that respects each person’s wishes, desires, and needs. In the regions of Nice and its surrounding municipalities, around sixty volunteers support more than fifty isolated elderly people by organizing a variety of activities: home visits, workshops, events, trips…
Civic service contracts starting next January
Becoming a volunteer within the association is very simple. One just needs to complete an online form to receive a call back from the volunteer platform, followed by a meeting proposal. Furthermore, from January 2024, “Petits Frères des Pauvres” will once again recruit committed volunteers under the civic service status. This opportunity aims to provide a unique experience for younger individuals, with the age range not exceeding 25 years (30 years in cases of disability). Over the next two years, the Nice branch is setting a goal to help the most deprived isolated elderly while strengthening support in nursing homes (EHPAD).
