the Rennes association All Behind sends tons of donations a day

In the room, you have to sneak between pallets, overflowing shopping carts and boxes. It’s a kind of big organized bazaar. An anthill in which dozens of volunteers are busy. In all they are over 250 to act within theAll Behind association. They collect donations which they send to the camps on the borders of Ukraine. They are also helping the dozens of Ukrainians who have arrived in Rennes and its surroundings since the start of the war.

It takes quite impressive logistics – Mélanie, co-founder

Mélanie is the co-founder: “We did not expect such a strong outpouring of solidarity. We had gone on a supermarket collection and there we set up a rather impressive logistics management; with gifts that abound every day,” details the young woman.

Some products remain on site for help families arriving “increasingly numerous” says the volunteer. “We have about forty partners. Social networks have made it possible to federate a large chain of solidarity”, Complete Melanie

Clothing, hygiene products and blankets

In crates stacked with clothes, shoes, but also hygiene products, soaps, baby diapers or even blankets.

Jacques Mange is a Rennais who has been living in kyiv for 15 years. Today he returned to France with his Ukrainian wife. He wanted to thank the volunteers. First a few timid steps, somewhat stifled thanks and then tears.

Jacques releases the pressure that has been weighing on his shoulders for several days now: “I couldn’t not come. For me it was very important to come and thank the volunteers. All this generosity is remarkable,” says the retiree.
A week ago, he decided to leave kyiv to return to France. He leaves with his wife, they only take a few bags. 3,700 kilometers and five days of travel later, here they are in rue Jules Vallès, in Rennes.

A human and united experience and intense emotions

Mélanie, Jacques’ daughter, is the co-founder of the association. It is she who leads the visit while Jacques continues to thank each volunteer who crosses his path. As the visit continues, Jacques’ eyes begin to shine. He is very moved by this outpouring of solidarity.

When they cry, we cry too – Audrey, volunteer

His wife Tatyana can’t hold back her tears. She left her mother and son in Ukraine. Audrey is a volunteer at the association, she lives every day these very intense emotions : “When you see them, everything finally becomes concrete. For example, there we had two families who came. When they hug us and cry, well, we cry too. In any case, when we embark on such an activity, we know that we are going to touch the human being”, explains the young girl from Rennes who works in the social sector.

In a single day, 22 pallets left for Ukraine, that represents more than 19 tons of donations. Since the establishment of the association, sixty tons of donations has been sent.

If you want to make a donation, the association specifies that you must preferred hygiene products and basic necessities; they hardly take the clothes anymore because there are too many in the convoys.