Bressuire – France

100 for 1 in Bocage

Key areas

Region/country

THE CONTEXT OF YOUR INITIATIVE

Local associations and parishes in the Bocage region are regularly confronted with emergency situations involving serious material need and sometimes great emotional distress. We urgently need to find new solutions to help the homeless, some of whom are migrants.

THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT AS PART OF YOUR INITIATIVE

Our key initiative is in finding 100 donors who agree to donate a minimum of five euros per month, allowing a homeless family or person to rent a decent home while on their path to becoming fully independent.

These people and families are invited to join the association:
– They are invited to volunteer as part of solidarity activities with member associations and partners.
– They make the same donation as other members, giving them a method that is within their means of supporting other migrants.

A local support group is in place to help those being housed:
– in terms of adapting (work, health, social rights, school, sponsorship, etc.);
– in connection with partner associations and organisations that are involved.

This might seem like a symbolic initiative, but it generates a large amount of awareness around the issue and encourages and alternative view of the issue of migrant integration.

WHO IS INVOLVED FROM OUR GROUP?

Some paid employees, alongside several activists and citizens involved at the grassroots level.

WHICH PARTNERS ARE YOU WORKING WITH ON THIS INITIATIVE?

FUTURE PROSPECTS

This is a new initiative in the area (only a few months old), but we already support two families in Argentonnais and Bressuire with the support of around 100 donors. This local-citizen involvement allows us to deal with emergency situations.

We provide additional link between associations and parishes that bring together many locals. This allows people who are not necessarily long-standing activists to become involved, thereby broadening the range of people who are involved in the movement.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANY INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR INITIATIVE?

WHAT ARE YOUR PROSPECTS?

We have a serious need for publicity to spread news of our initiative and to increase the number of donors. We need to hand out flyers, create a website, find community managers to ensure we have a presence on social media, strengthen word-of-mouth publicity, etc.

We do not ask people to give a lot, rather lots of people to give a little.