France's Secours Populaire charity marks 80 years with pleas for time, not money

One of France's biggest charities – founded by Resistance fighters and survivors of Nazi persecution – is calling on supporters to give their time and social media clout, with financial strains hitting its donors.

The shift by Secours Populaire, which marks its 80th anniversary this year, reflects widespread changes in how French people engage with charitable causes, as France faces its highest poverty rates in decades.

The organisation has launched what it calls its "most solidarity-focused campaign", encouraging supporters to contribute through social media engagement and volunteering, alongside traditional monetary donations.

"People's time commitments have changed – it might be two hours or just one hour, or a simple gesture of solidarity," Christian Causse, head of events at the charity, told RFI. "The way people engage is different now, but there's still a huge appetite for solidarity among the French."

Roots in Resistance

Originally founded in 1926, Secours Populaire began as the French section of Secours Rouge International, a "People's Red Cross" that attracted prominent intellectuals and anti-fascists.

The Nazi occupation forced its dissolution, with half its departmental leaders executed or killed after deportation.

A new chapter opened for the charity in November 1945, when Resistance fighters and survivors of concentration camps established the modern organisation, envisioning a broad movement of "popular solidarity" in liberated France.

Read more on RFI English

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