Helping refugee minors around Paris
In the holiday spirit of gift-giving and in response to many concerned comments we received after the reading of Warsan Shire’s poem “Home” at our last service, UUFP will donate its December offertory collection to an NGO working with refugee teenagers in the Paris region, Les Midis du Mie.
Some of you may be aware of recent demonstrations in Paris, in which the police action of clearing refugee tents turned violent. The demonstrators had come to the center of the city to draw attention to the plight of hundreds of migrants living in tents on the outskirts of the city.
Last March, when we were told to “shelter in place” due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Paris provided shelter for everyone living in the street — refugee or not. At the end of lockdown; everyone was sent back to the streets. At the beginning of our second lockdown, there was no special program on offer.
Les Midis du Mie, a collective formed in 2016, is one of the NGOs petitioning the city for help. The name comes from the lunch they serve in a park in the 20th arr. The group provides meals, guidance and legal support to teenagers in exile.
In the past, they asked individuals and families to take in refugees while their cases were being processed. Now they scout for empty theatres or other temporarily closed spaces that might be donated – but often they need extra funding to rent space or even hotel rooms.
With our December collection we have the opportunity to be part of making this holiday and winter season warmer and safer for them