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The approach of Phare in Roannais by Bernard JAYOL,

president .

 

Phare en Roannais is the result of an associative approach set up by citizens concerned with helping and protecting people on the street. It was first "Our Shelter", in 1976, so that people without roofs could, after a hot meal, spend the night in a bed, in a dry place. Then in 1996, "Boutique Santé" opened its doors to welcome, during the day, all people in precariousness. With generosity and humanity, these volunteer citizens made up for the shortcomings of the public policies of the time and enabled thousands of people to receive a little comfort and friendship. Over the years, the validity of their action has been recognized and supported by the public authorities. Our Shelter and Boutique Santé were then able to rely on competent staff to deal with the growing precariousness. More recently at the request of the State, these two associations merged: thus was born on January 1, 2019, Phare en Roannais, which carries out missions to fight against precariousness, mainly financed by the State. The increasingly complex administrative and financial requirements do not always seem to measure the investment of volunteers and staff, who, on a daily basis, strive to cope with the vagaries. The practices of calls for projects and cost reduction create competition and weaken humanitarian associations. It would be more in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the law of 1901 if, in a social Republic, associations were considered as partners and not as service providers.

In this spirit, Phare en Roannais will continue, come what may, to fight against precariousness, indignity and segregation. To continue this fight, humanitarian and humanist, all goodwill is welcome.

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