The association Bagageries solidaires 92 has two centers, one mixed in Clichy and another that exclusively welcomes women and their children in Colombes, with a third center planned in the south of the Hauts-de-Seine department. In total, more than 80 people are supported.
In addition to this essential support, the association offers them the opportunity to take a shower, wash their belongings, dry them, provides ironing boards, and organizes well-being workshops, hairdressing, and confidence-building sessions, which will help them find solutions and move forward.
While the main issue for people living on the streets remains finding a place to sleep, which occupies a large part of their days, the need to eat and to set down the 30 to 40 kg of luggage they carry everywhere follows closely behind.
The association Bagageries solidaires 92 allows them to benefit from a relaxing space, a refuge, as being on the streets is exhausting. They can have a coffee, eat a madeleine, relax on the sofas, and talk with kind-hearted people.
The association also offers other activities such as advanced French language courses, assistance with writing administrative documents, as well as outings and weekends in the countryside on a farm, which provide great moments of exchange and comfort, where children can see horses, pigs, chickens, and ducks.
An association entirely run by volunteers. “We are just a simple link in a much more complex chain of solidarity,” emphasizes Jean-François Gombeaud. “Hoping for just one thing, that these women find a more sustainable solution, or move to where they have family, where they can find work. It’s very rewarding; we receive more than we give.”
