charity work

[peut-etre]

In UK I work as a charity shop manager. When we get to France I will be retired but would like to know about helping with a charity in France. I only have very basic french, can meet and greet, shop etc, but can read quite a lot of the language. Do the equivalent of UK Charity retail shops exist in France or is charity work more of the animal -rescue type thing? I would like to get involved with something but do not expect paid work.

[Clair]

Emmaüs often need volonteers. Check your area or contact them for more info.

Good luck [:)]

[Christine Animal]

There is also Les Restos du Coeur

http://www.restosducoeur.org/       On this site they are looking for help (bénévoles) in L'Orne.

 

But if you Google Restos du Coeur you have different sites for different areas.

 

[5-element]

And then there is also "Secours Populaire", "Secours Catholique" (part of their work is to have secondhand clothes for sale in little shops) , and la Croix Rouge (Red Cross).
Wherever you are, you can enquire at your local Mairie and they will tell you where the nearest branch is.

Otherwise, you could also enquire at your nearest CCAS (Centre Communal d'Action Sociale), the social workers there will know what charities are around, and what they do.

I know for instance that the "Association des Paralyses de France" is often looking for volunteers to befriend disabled people.

There are loads of possibilities, but these are not immediately obvious as they are in the UK, but they do exist, and volunteer work is very big here in France (many retirees do some kind of volunteer work of some sort or other, although not necessarily for charities).

[Frederick]

There are volunteers who take the elderly shopping ....so if you drive that could be one way of giving a helping hand.....The old chap opposite me gets picked up in a BMW sports driven  by another old chap who takes him to and from the Super U  once a week .....he used to have a woman with a tatty little Citroen do it  .......not any more !

[Patf]

If you do voluntary work in France do you have to go through all the checks and formfilling and insurance problems that they have now in UK?

[5-element]

Pat, I haven't so far, not with Restos du Coeur or with Secours Populaire. Maybe things are set to change here too?

[Patf]

Well that is good news - let's hope it doesn't change. The numbers of people volunteering in UK has dropped recently because of all the rules. Especially in things like scouts, and anything to do with children. I suppose it's a good thing in some ways, but not to an extreme.

[Kimi]

Do you know if there is any volunteer/charity work in Lyon? I live in Ecully, but don't mind travelling especially on weekends. On weekdays I'm afraid I'll be in univ. till around 5pm.