“We are far from the mark, we can quantify the needs for 2023 at 200 million euros, according to the French Secours populaire

The September 2022 financial aid was not enough. So the French Secours Populaire is waiting “eagerly” Elisabeth Borne’s announcements to end food insecurity, during her visit to a food bank in Reims (Champagne-Ardenne) Thursday, November 3. “We can quantify at 200 million euros” the needs for 2023, estimates Jean Stellitano, national secretary at the Secours populaire français.

“We must remember that it is the role of the state to feed its population, emphasizes Jean Stellatano. The state must help those who help. We had an extension in September of 40 million euros and we are far from the mark … “

The national secretary of the French Secours Populaire discusses his situation with the other representatives of the food aid associations. The wave of applicants continues to grow with consumer price inflation, set by INSEE in October 2022 at 6.2% over one year. “We have to increase our premises, our storage capacities, while we ourselves have to face the increase in transport and energy costs”says Jean Stellitano who foresees “very difficult months” if financial aid from the State does not arrive very quickly in the coffers of humanitarian associations.

With inflation, the lines of beneficiaries lengthen in front of the premises of the Secours populaire. “We have 15% more people on our branches and federations, but it keeps happening”, regrets the national secretary of the Secours Populaire Français. What saddens him is not the new public, but “people who had regained their autonomy last year, or two years ago and who, unfortunately, have to come back to ask us for help. It’s terrible for the volunteers who feel back to square one.” Jean Stellitano recalls that overall inflation is certainly at 6% at the moment, but it is in double digits for certain food products: “15, 20% increase on basic products is what impacts families the most.”

Because it is single-parent families who represent the bulk of the contingent for food aid to the Secours populaire français, “70% are women with children, although we also see complete families arriving today”, reports Jean Stellitano, who does not forget the students, who have been severely weakened financially since the start of the health crisis. A worrying overall situation judges the representative of the humanitarian association, aggravated by the “drop in donations and collection rates in supermarkets”.