How did you learn about Parrains par Mille ?

A friend of mine is a founder member of the association. In the course of a conversation, I realized that their commitment perfectly matched my own criteria for seriousness, ethics, and rigor.
In 1998, I started responding every time my friend needed my expertise.
For example, I helped them finalize their application for funding from the General Council in several French provinces. It was always a one-off deal.

What's spurred you to do more ?

The underlying idea - by sponsoring a child living in difficult situations, one can help it build a life against all odds - pleased me. And then, since 1998, I had many opportunities to observe the results of the encounter between a sponsor and a child in difficulty. In 2007 for example, the association addressed 250 requests.
Very often, they concerned families in dire straits, which the social services sent us as a last resort, to try to avoid separating the child from its family.

No one imposes this link, to the contrary: the psychologists of Parrains par Mille first confirm that the family has applied for help, that the child agrees to meet a new adult regularly, and that the sponsor is "solid". The child/sponsor couples are then regularly monitored.

And then, wonderful things happen! I'm amazed every time to realize the strength of the relationship that develops over the years between these adults and these children. The sponsors offer them an alternative framework for living, in the evenings, on weekends and during the holidays, and this enables them to restructure their lives.
I recall, a few years ago, a very highly strung little boy. He twitched constantly, couldn't keep still. He's now 13, self-possessed, knows what he wants to do in life, and seems content with himself.

How did you get the idea of applying to the Veolia Environnement Foundation ?

I looked at the selection criteria set by the Foundation and kept them in mind, observing their activities from a distance. When Parrains par Mille decided to open the "Maison du Parrainage", I figured that we needed assistance for this to happen, and it occurred to me to ask the Foundation for help. We received 30,000 euros: precisely the budget we needed to complete the Maison du Parrainage. The Association's team and I were very happy with this grant. As an employee of the group, I'm proud to know that a major corporation like ours is capable of helping associations in essential areas like aid for children in difficulty, even though this does not correspond with its core professions.

And yet I have one regret: that the Foundation only grants aid for one-time operations and not for operating budgets. I know that it's routine practice, but maybe it needs to change: the budgets allocated to the associations by the state and the territorial authorities are constantly reviewed downward (or frozen in an electoral period).
The associations are therefore reduced to filing funding applications one after the other. Their staff spend an inordinate amount of time managing the funds for the association, rather than focusing on their raison d'etre, and that's a pity.

Do you intend to continue helping Parrains par Mille ?

Absolutely. My daughter is now grown up and doesn't need me as much as she used to: I have more free time to devote to voluntary activities. Now that the association is properly constituted, I plan to give them stronger and more regular legal support.
And perhaps someday, I may decide to sponsor a child myself. But this implies a major change in life. I'm not ready yet.