Bloom
Where Y ou're
P l a nt ed A COMMUNITY-RUN ASSOCIATION IN PARIS MEETS PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE
PHOTOS AND WORDS BY CALLIE STEVENS
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volunteers who donate many hours of time each week. n each of the tables set up in a church The members pay a small fee annually to have a voice fellowship hall in Paris, France, plastic in the association, though a crate of food is available for crates of food are filled as quickly only two euros to those without membership as well. as the trucks bringing the goods are unloaded. Trained volunteers already know where the food should go, dividing it to make sure each basket BECOMING PARTNERS has a variety of options and follows dietary needs. Mintou Diop is one of those volunteers, spending Outside, the trucks squeeze through narrow Paris as many hours at the association each week as she streets, delivering food they’ve spent the morning would at a full-time job. She has been involved collecting from grocery stores all around the city. The with the distribution from its inception, organizing donated food will go to families the other volunteers, scheduling from all walks of life—some routes, and facilitating everything “YOU START WITH WHAT are in Paris as refugees, others in between. Every evening prior to YOU HAVE, EVEN IF don’t qualify for the federal aid the distribution, she confirms which IT IS LITTLE, AND GO system but also can’t afford food of the grocery stores the association to last to the end of the month. has contracts with will have food to FROM THERE.” The food distribution is a donate and arranges the routes for service of what has come to be called “the association.” each of the five refrigerated trucks. Usually, that’s It was originally born out of the Church of the around 36 grocery stores spread out across the city. Nazarene’s mission in France: to dynamically and “Of all the highs and lows over the years, what relevantly serve communities through projects run by keeps me giving is someone thanking me,” she says. members of those communities. This last part is key. Often, families will tell Mintou that the food The association has grown to fulfill that mission and is distribution is what will help get them through the completely community run. About 50 other registered week, whether that’s due to unemployment, refugee members make up the association, including roughly 30 status, or a personal crisis. During the COVID-19 20
2022 // ISSUE 1
