Bernard Arnault to the rescue of Restos du coeur. The day after the appeal launched by the president of the association, the boss of the LVMH group and his family announced the payment of aid of “10 million euros” to the association. Welcome funds for the organization, which urgently needs 35 million euros to balance its accounts.
“This emergency contribution responds to the appeal launched by the association, which is still looking for additional funds to finalize its annual budget”, writes the family in a press release sent on Monday afternoon. Emphasizing his “solidarity donation”, the billionaire’s entourage indicates that they want to “help a magnificent association of general interest which works for the most fragile, without stopping for almost 40 years”.
In addition, the son of Bernard Arnault, Antoine, will go this Tuesday “to the premises of the Restos du Coeur to concretize this solidarity gesture”. The boss of Berluti will be accompanied, on this occasion, by the Minister of Solidarity, Aurore Bergé. The member of the government was also pleased with this support: “I thank Bernard Arnault and his family for their exceptional support for the Restos du Cœur of 10 million euros. It is together, united, that our country is more fraternal”, she commented on X.
This new donation from the boss of LVMH echoes his massive support for the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. In April 2019, following the fire that had ravaged the building, the influential businessman had released 200 million euros. A way to participate in the “reconstruction of this extraordinary cathedral, a symbol of France, of its heritage and of its unity”.
Since the appeal launched by the president of Restos du Coeur on Sunday, many players, such as Carrefour, Intermarché, Super U or the State have multiplied announcements to support the teams which come to the aid of the most needy. But these measures, as well as the ten million euros put on the table by Bernard Arnault, will not be enough to fill the holes in the organization’s cash flow. Time is running out: without sufficient support, the association founded by Coluche, which provides about a third of food aid in France, risks having to refuse certain beneficiaries. An unacceptable prospect, for Patrice Douret, its president, who therefore calls for a “massive mobilization of the political and economic forces of this country”.