Nearly 3.5 tons of clothing and various supplies have passed through the local offices of the association “Les Harley du Coeur” in La Trinitรฉ over the past three weeks, headed to the victims of the recent storms that have devastated the western part of the Alpes-Maritimes department.
The association in La Trinitรฉ immediately mobilized to collect donations from the entire Paillon valley, and the volunteers have spared no effort in sorting everything that arrived and, at the same time, directly delivering this much-anticipated equipment to those who have sometimes lost everything.
Several trips per day were organized during the first week, not only to deliver equipment but also to assist the relief efforts on-site and offer a helping hand to victims who sometimes didn’t know where to start because the damage to their homes was so significant.
“The mobilization among members of Les Harley du Coeur has been tremendous,” explains association president Claude Abejan, “and the association’s headquarters quickly transformed into a collection hub and sorting center, with donations pouring in from all sides. To best meet the enormous needs on the ground, we organized several daily rotations to the hardest-hit areas to deliver the supplies in direct coordination with local emergency services and municipalities, who specified their immediate needs to us.”
Three weeks later, things are looking a bit clearer in the areas particularly affected by the storms, and the needs of the victims have evolved. No worries! The big-hearted bikers’ mobilization hasn’t wavered, and two local events were organized to raise funds, in collaboration with a national retail chain, to purchase the supplies people need immediately. Over these two weekends, more than 1,000 euros were collected and turned into baby formula, diapers, bottles of water, cleaning products, hygiene products, etc., which were distributed on-site by association volunteers throughout the week.
“The association receives messages of support and donations from all over France, and this solidarity is heartwarming!” says Claude Abejan. “We continue our on-the-ground work, in collaboration with the already present emergency teams who do admirable daily work to help these people in need, both with supplies and with smiles and listening ears, because help also involves that.”
