During confinement, the social protection group VYV set up a skills sponsorship with La Croix-Rouge. Thus, employees who so wished were able to take part in a delivery system for basic necessities. This is the case of Thierry Weishaupt, in charge of public affairs.
During the confinement, surges of solidarity were born in the four corners of France. Many devices have been developed, such as “The Red Cross at home”. Through this, the association has set up several services, such as listening to isolated people who feel the need to talk, as well as the delivery of basic necessities through “typical baskets”, consisting of food, and, in some cases, drugs. If the products are the responsibility of the callers, the logistics and delivery are provided free of charge by La Croix-Rouge.
As part of a skills sponsorship between his company, the VYV social protection group, and the association, Thierry Weishaupt wished to participate in the operation. For more than a month, once or twice a week, during 4-hour sessions, the public affairs officer has been in charge of ordering baskets during his working time. “It’s like a call center: I’m on my computer and the calls are transferred to me when all the interlocutors on the set are already takenhe explains. The principle is really good: it is nice to say that we take care of the baskets, listening is there, too. The people who contact us need to talk”.
“According to the situation of our interlocutors, we really take blows”
Each session begins with a 30-minute briefing, in particular to discuss the regional specificities of La Croix-Rouge, then ends with another half-hour discussion with members of the association. “At the end, we listen to you, we answer your questions and we ask you about your feelings, just to take stock of the psychological aspectsays Thierry Weishaupt. A psychologist is present because, depending on the situation of our interlocutors, we really take blows”.
The Public Affairs Officer particularly remembers one caller: an elderly woman “worry”since she has diabetes and needed a medication that was no longer available. “Going out represents a real risk for her: in addition to the possibility of catching Covid-19, she lives on the 5th floor of a building whose elevator has broken down, while she moves around with a cane.says the employee. Sometimes the cumulative effect of the situation of the person you are talking to is very significant”.
Solidarity baskets for people with limited incomes
In some cases, a solidarity basket can be given. “A gentleman had 1.50 euros left to end the monthrecalls Thierry Weishaupt. Normally, he had 30, which allowed him to pay for his basket, but because of an unforeseen expense, he no longer had the means. So we gave him one.”. An exception that the Red Cross sometimes allows itself, by checking the income of the callers concerned, so that there is no abuse.
If the skills sponsorship set up by VYV will come to an end on June 7, Thierry Weishaupt intends to go further. “I think I will continue. This kind of action is necessary: it’s real life, we talk to people who need usestimates the one who has always been in the associative environment, but not in the help to the person. Then, I realized the importance of everything that we must do on the social level in our country”. Nearly 120 Groupe VYV employees applied to join the system when the skills sponsorship was set up.