The charitable organization is urging people in Gard to participate in a humanistic and supportive project next summer. By hosting a child from a modest background in their homes for a few dream-like days away from their daily life, at a time when one in three children in our country never goes on vacation.
This spring is a crucial period for the Gard branch of the Secours Populaire. As the organization re-launches its “Family Holiday” program, they are actively looking for families in Gard who can welcome a child from a modest background from the Paris region for fifteen days. This is to give them a few days of vacation voluntarily and bring a smile back to their faces. “In our country, one in three children doesn’t go on vacation,” said Fabienne Lauron, the general secretary of the Secours Populaire in Gard.
On Saturday, March 28th, at the association’s headquarters on the route d’Avignon in Nimes, Helene El Baghi and her 14-year-old daughter, Zohra, shared their experience with the press. Last year, they, along with the rest of their family, hosted eleven-year-old Rachelle from Essonne in their home near Ales for two weeks.
“Every family that wishes to host a child referred by the Secours Populaire presents their vacation plans for the young beneficiary. Before receiving a home visit from two association members who then verify the proposed accommodation conditions for the child. When it comes to safety, we are very strict!” smiled Francois, a volunteer within the association.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 8th, 2026. Last year, seven children from the Paris region were hosted by families in the department as part of the “Family Holiday” program. The Secours Populaire in Gard hopes to increase this number to around fifteen this year. Families interested in hosting a boy or girl between the ages of 6 and 12 from July 29th to August 12th are invited to contact Luisa Benbouzid, the director of the Gardian branch of the Secours Populaire, at 06 51 91 85 31 (luisa.benbouzid@spf30.org) or Fabienne Lauron, the general secretary, at 06 82 14 41 92.
