The Belgian Resto du Coeur federation is set to open a new Resto du Coeur in Mariembourg to cope with the many request for help. So there will be 20 Resto du Coeur helping people in need in Belgium henceforth.
Very few associations offer complete meals at low cost to people in precarious situations in the Couvin region. To fill this gap and meet the high demand, the non-profit association Solidarités Plurielles de l'Entre-Sambre et Meuse ASBL launched the Assiette du Cœur in Mariembourg last November. Today, we welcome this restaurant to the Resto du Coeur family.
A Resto du Coeur open to people in need
The Resto du Coeur in Mariembourg welcomes people in need (Philippeville, Mettet, Cerfontaine, Florennes, Viroinval, Walcourt, Doische, and Couvin) regardless of their philosophical, religious or cultural background.
Already fully booked, the Resto serves hot meals two days a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The dining room can accommodate around twenty diners per service. The meal includes a starter, main course and dessert. Takeaway meals can also be booked, and account for 30 % of all requests.
Discussions with the beneficiaries of the Resto have revealed that access to healthy food at an affordable price is becoming increasingly difficult. For the majority of beneficiaries, eating one hot meal a day is no longer an option. This is why, at the Resto du Coeur in Mariembourg, the cost of a meal varies according to the beneficiary's income, but does not exceed €4 for a complete, healthy and balanced meal.
The Resto du Coeur in Mariembourg is a meeting place where beneficiaries can engage in table talk during meals. In addition, a Solidarités Plurielles social worker is on hand at each service to answer questions, carry out certain administrative procedures and find social support solutions through the various services offered by the non-profit association, including a social grocery shop, a debt mediation service, a laundry and social housing.
Together we are stronger! To combat isolation and social exclusion, offering beneficiaries social and participative support can enable them to forge new ties and help them regain their independence so that they can become emancipated.
