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.
Its enduring motto "Everything Human Is Ours" (Tout ce qui est humain est nôtre), embodies a commitment to inclusivity and humanitarian action that remains central today.
With 90,000 volunteers across France, Secours Populaire has evolved into a major force tackling poverty and social exclusion.
For actor and volunteer Djanis Bouzyani, getting involved was a natural choice. "Many people close to me and my family were helped by volunteers. So when I was able to do it myself, it was obvious to me that I should help people however I could," he told RFI.
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Campaign launch
The charity has launched its first major initiative of 2025, with Don'actions, a two-month fundraising drive that will see volunteers across France's 600 local committees selling €2 donation tickets.
"We have several objectives: to reconnect with a strong mobilisation of volunteer collector-organisers with ticket booklets as the only tool for public collection," campaign manager Rose-Marie Papi said in a press release.
The funds will support volunteer work in France and abroad, while boosting the charity's financial independence.
From street musicians in Rouen to traditional galette evenings in Lyon and Le Mans, these committees are finding creative ways to rally support.
"Over the next two months, volunteers across all our branches, committees and federations will be selling tickets to friends, family and local businesses," said Hervé Nicole, Don'actions coordinator for the Rouen branch.
The charity's evolution reflects changing times in a way that resonates particularly with younger supporters.
"It brings me meaning, and I think it's important for the new generation to do things that have meaning," Delphine Lechat, a volunteer, told RFI.
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Grassroots action
With more than 98 departmental branches, Secours Populaire maintains strong community ties while tackling issues both at home and abroad.
Recent initiatives have included work in Mayotte, where volunteers provided solar batteries and water purification tablets after the recent devastation wreaked by Cyclone Chido, while supporting local farmers affected by economic hardship.
Local initiatives vary according to regional challenges. In Sainte-Tulle in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region, the charity organises weekly markets, shopping centre stands and lottery events.
"Solidarity isn't something you decree – it's something you live through action," said the Creuse Federation, one of Secours Populaire's departmental branches.
