Eric Ciotti visited the volunteers at the Nice Dabray center. The deputy expressed his support for Restos du Cœur.
The call for help was made by the president of Restos du Cœur and action was needed. Financially endangered, Coluche’s group required a helping hand to close out the year. In Alpes-Maritimes, none of the 17 centers escaped the rule.
The Nice Dabray center feeds one thousand seven hundred families, totaling two million eight hundred thousand meals annually. This represents a 40% increase, making things much more complicated with the current facilities. To give the center a new lease on life, Eric Ciotti paid them a visit.
Financial Support
In response, the city of Nice donated an additional 75 m2 to the association above the already existing premises. This space was already owned by the association, so the renovation work won’t be substantial. Access to the upper floor will need to be reopened in agreement with the property co-ownership. It’s a return to the past, but one that is beneficial.
For future director François Chantrait, two things are particularly important: “We need money and premises, these are our biggest shortcomings.” This request has been acknowledged. The Alpes-Maritimes department will allocate 20,000 euros towards the end of the 2023 term. Then thirty thousand euros for the 2024 term, totaling fifty thousand euros for Restos du Cœur.
Winter Promises to Be Difficult
Despite encouraging announcements, volunteers are not in a celebratory mood. They know winter will be harsh. With the increasing number of families in need, along with rising food and fuel prices, calculations are no longer the same. Sacrifices will need to be made, as François Chantrait is well aware. “We are going to have to turn away families we’ve been feeding for over 13 years,” he laments.
With the new assessment criteria, some families will no longer meet the requirements. The winter criteria become universal. Previously, a single person with seven hundred euros qualified. Now, the ceiling is five hundred forty euros for a single person with a 10% margin of tolerance. A tough blow for families and volunteers alike. They themselves say: “Telling families we care about that they can no longer be served will be very difficult.”
Christian Estrosi announced measures to help Restos du Cœur. The mayor of Nice extended the exemption of the entire rent for centers owned by the city of Nice and the social landlord. The mayor exempted the annual rent up to eight thousand eight hundred ninety-nine euros.
