The Fermières’ contribution to the Répit de la rue for people experiencing homelessness – Marie-Claude Renaud

Here, read the transcript of the interview with Marie-Claude Renaud, director of the Ressources communautaires ACJ+.

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You know the Fermières are involved with us, they’re involved in helping people who are homeless or going through a rough patch. And to me, that’s a way of being open, but it’s also a way of accepting people unconditionally. Because when they donate slippers, when they donate tuques, when they donate mittens and scarves, they’re not saying, “I don’t see what exists.” They’re not saying, “Why do they live that way? All they have to do is this, and they’d get out of it.” They’re saying… accepting, this is the situation, I accept these people for who they are, and here’s what I can do to support them. And I think that message, well, it’s not that I think, I know the message, because people living with homelessness tell me. When they know the Fermières, for example, make a donation like that, the Fermières, what they’re saying is I recognize that you exist, I recognize that you’re there.