REPORT. Green Santa Clauses from Secours Populaire mobilized for the most deprived in Toulouse
The end of the year is an even more difficult period for populations in precariousness. During the Green Santas campaign, the Secours Populaire mobilizes to serve the most precarious so that Christmas does not forget anyone. Report.
From the entrance of the Secours Populaire branch on Avenue des Etats-Unis in Toulouse, a crowd rushes. “It’s madness today”drops a volunteer.
Dozens of people are waiting their turn to receive an appointment at the reception for a registration or a food parcel. But this rush, although now usual, is explained in this holiday season by the end of the Green Santas campaign. Families find a voucher to attend next Wednesday, Thursday or Friday when Santa Claus arrives at the association’s premises.
Amina and her two little boys aged 4 and 8 are in the queue. Recently unemployed and separated from the father of her children, she manages as best she can the 800€ of household income. “Three people are complicated, everything is expensive. We made the tree at home and installed the lights and I want them to experience Christmas as a party”she confides to us.
An event day that closes a campaign of appeals for donations and collection of solidarity boxes. The collection of green Santa Clauses is one of the five campaigns organized by the People Relief. 1976, it offers families in difficulty toys, festive food parcels, but also cultural or sporting outings.
The idea is to give families a magical and magical moment.
Aubane Saboureau – project manager at Secours Populaire de Toulouse
Dozens of bundles of wrapped gifts are piled up at the entrance to the office. They will be distributed from Wednesday. All the spaces will be decorated in Christmas colours, face-painting workshops and making Christmas balls will be waiting for the children.
Santa’s sleigh, decked out in the color of hope, will be laden with gifts so that each child leaves with their toy. In addition, 300 solidarity boxes were made by individuals.
They will be intended for children from the poorest families, students or homeless people, explains Aubane. “We don’t want to be in the assistantship, except for people who don’t have the means”says Aubane Saboureau. “Families who can have the opportunity to buy toys at the Secours Populaire shop”, for a very modest price, generally 10% of the price of the toy sold in the supermarket. This Monday, December 19, the last day of sales of Christmas items, toys and clothing, the first come were first served. All the stock disappeared in an hour in a frenetic atmosphere.
The situation of all these families is first provided on the basis of the remainder to be lived. All things considered, “it is higher today, on average it is €3.25 per day and per person, whereas during the Covid, this remainder to live was €1.79”says Aubane Saboureau. “For students, it was at this period, at 0.90€ per day”.
“The food aid that we provide every three weeks is not enough, it must be combined with the help of other associations. We receive 50 families a day, we cannot do more”, laments the project manager. The association has taken stock: between September 2021 and September 2022, the number of people welcomed increased by 85% in the department. This figure is 45% nationally. In 2022 in Haute-Garonne, 27,800 people will depend on food aid from Secours Populaire. They were 15,000 last year at the same time. In reality, there are nearly 33,000 people registered through food aid in the department.
The size of the premises has not increased and the volunteers already in place are in high demand. In this context, it is difficult and complicated to reserve a qualitative welcome for everyone. The needs remain significant. “Comment on done?”, asks Aubane.
Occasional help from the MJC Empalot
In the middle of a large room this Monday, 9 boys and girls from the MJC in the Empalot district are busy around the huge table. These young volunteers for a day have come to discover the life of a charitable association and take advantage of their holidays to lend a hand to the Secours Populaire.
“I was able to learn more about the association because at first I didn’t really know what it was doing. I’m glad to know that children will eat chocolate like in families who can afford it”tells us Prêt 15 ans.
Each at his post, 5 white and 20 dark chocolates placed in a plastic bag closed by a red bolduc. “I won’t do this all the time, says Mathis 13 years old, but it makes me happy to help and to know that it will be a pleasure”.
3,000 people are expected for the three days of the Christmas market, that’s 500 families and 600 students.
Aubane Saboureau
The Secours Populaire de Toulouse is calling, for the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the Christmas market of the weekend, additional bras would be welcome for making pancakes and the animation of the make-up workshops, balloons and balls of Christmas .
While food stocks are sufficient to meet demand, the main shortage is hygiene products, nappies and baby food, as well as warm clothing for men.
To your good heart !