2023-10-10 14:30:52
The association confirmed that it would have to restrict access to food distributions from November. Between the 2021-2022 distribution campaign and that of 2022-2023, the number of meals offered had already increased by 20%.
While inflation is hitting the poorest households hard, the Restos du coeur confirmed on Wednesday October 4 during a hearing before the National Assembly that the association would be forced to refuse beneficiaries. “From November, we will reduce the allocations for the number of people [et] we are also reducing the criteria for access to food aid“, said Jean-Yves Troy, general delegate of the organization.
Patrice Drouet, president of Restos du coeur, had already launched an alert message to this effect on the TF1 set at the beginning of September. The cause of these restrictions: inflation. The rise in food prices has increased requests for aid and made it more difficult to supply Restos du coeur with edible foodstuffs.
Some 28 million additional meals in one year
While between 2012 and 2022, the number of meals distributed remained relatively stable, between 130 and 140 million meals, the demand for food aid exploded in 2023, according to annual reports consulted by franceinfo. During the 38th campaign of 2022-2023, the association distributed some 28 million more meals than the previous year, or 170 million in total.
The association had experienced a marked increase in its meal distributions following the 2008 crisis, but this had been much less brutal. The Restos du coeur then offered 30 million additional meals in four years.
Initially planned to last only during the winter of 1985, the organization created by Coluche has not stopped its activities for almost 40 years. The number of meals distributed has increased in the wake of the increase in precariousness, but also thanks to the deployment of the association and its branches throughout France.
A budget hole of 35 million euros
The association is currently going through serious financial difficulties: it was missing 35 million euros to complete its annual budget at the beginning of September. In response, the government announced additional aid of 15 million euros. The billionaire, Bernard Arnault also declared that he would make a donation of 10 million euros. Donations from individuals and businesses poured in.
However, these measures did not completely reassure Patrice Drouet, “We still have a lot of uncertainty over the next few months, the next years”feared on September 8 the boss of the association at the microphone of France Bleu.
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