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Citizenship: “Civic Hour”, an hour to help your neighbors
Citizenship: “Civic Hour”, an hour to help your neighbors
(France 2)
The principle of the system, “l’Heure civique”, launched by the association “Voisins solidaires” is to give one hour of your time per month to help your neighbors. This consists of small repairs, gardening or simply keeping lonely people company.
In Saint-Sulpice-d’Arnoult (Charente-Maritime), Joaquim and his sons have an appointment with Monique Roy, their 84-year-old neighbor. Every month, the family offers an hour of their time to help the inhabitants of the town. This national program is called “l’Heure civique”. All you need is goodwill to participate. A gesture of solidarity that allows beneficiaries to overcome isolation.
The system is appealing. In the town of Corme-Royale (Charente-Maritime), 37 residents have already joined the project. All you have to do is register on a website and the town hall will put volunteers and beneficiaries in touch.
Help with DIY, pet sitting or tutoring: all these actions help to recreate connections. For Patrick Uribé, originally from the north of France, it was also a way to get to know other residents. Since 2022, 150 towns have embarked on the adventure. The Voisins solidaires association hopes to mobilize all the municipalities in France.
