Will the Restos du Coeur go out of business?

2023-09-03 14:51:00

The threat is serious. “The Resto du Coeur could go out of business within three years”, launched Patrice Douret, the president of the association, this Sunday on TF1. In question, the financial difficulties of this charitable structure created by Coluche, in 1985.

too many requests

« We are going to have to take very tough measures, say no to people who need food aid “, Thus, regretted the leader of Resto du Coeur, who estimates at more than 150,000, the number of people who could thus be dismissed in the coming months. The association will, in fact, revise the amount of resources to be eligible.

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With the crisis and inflation, the Resto du Coeur are facing a large influx of people living in poverty. Young people, students, retirees, single-parent families, but also more and more French people from the middle class who can no longer make ends meet.

« Inflation is incredibly violent “, notes Patrice Drouet. Despite social assistance, many have no other solution than to turn to donations.

Result: the association has already welcomed for this year 2023 alone, 1.3 million people, against 1.1 million last year. The Resto du Coeur provide more than a third of emergency food aid. They expect to see this share increase this winter, while inflation, although slowing, remains at a high level.

A lack of resources

In fact, this influx of requests increases the operating costs of the association. Its budget for food purchases, then redistributed free of charge to beneficiaries, has already doubled.

In this context, the association estimates that it needs an additional 35 million euros. Otherwise, she will not be able to complete her exercise in balance. The association has an operating budget of 200 million euros per year. These receipts come from bequests from individuals and companies, but also from state aid and the European Union.

Its president Patrice Drouet thus launched, this Sunday, “an appeal to the political and economic forces of our country”, and asked “an emergency food plan”. And to add : “We are not heard enough, or taken seriously .. but the dikes are giving way. »

This observation has been established by most associations and charities in our country.