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The French Red Cross thanks all the people who supported its action during the last month and year.

Please find below information about of our latest activities:

A day of meetings and exchanges around the prison-justice topic

On Friday 16^th of November, the President of the French Red Cross travelled to Avignon, Vaucluse for a day devoted to the prison-justice actions carried out by the local Red Cross entity. Two highlights marked this journey: a visit to the Avignon Penitentiary Centre – Le Pontet, and a round table bringing together various actors involved in this mission. This program has made it possible to link the questions raised in this field with the projects of tomorrow. In his introduction, Christian Doubrère, national administrator, recalls that the prison-justice topic falls within the overall strategy of the Red Cross: it is therefore necessary to implement it on the territories and to support the volunteers who involved in this area. "This is indeed a historic mission of the Red Cross," claimed Professor Jean-Jacques Eledjam, President of the French Red Cross.

An emergency shelter and mother-child rehabilitation centre in Paris

Created by the Ile-de-France Regional Council and financed by the Government, the mother-child rehabilitation Centre is exclusively dedicated to single women leaving the maternity ward without a lodging solution. The region has entrusted its management to the French Red Cross with whom it is bound by a partnership agreement. Like any emergency shelter, it will close its doors on March 31^st, at the end of the winter period. In the meantime, these moms in very precarious situations are safe. But not just. They find a place of respite, welcoming, calm, adapted to infants and benefit from personalized accompaniment to try to find a solution to their difficulties. 

World Conference on Health and Climate change: caring for Humanity at + 2 °c

At the occasion of the centenary of the creation of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Federation, France is organizing the first "humanitarian COP" to take an update on the latest scientific research and to present innovative solutions for tackling the biggest public health challenge of the 21^st century. Climate change is already having an impact on human health and the projections are alarming. Even by limiting the increase to + 2 °c, the ambition of the Paris climate Agreement (COP21), there will be consequences, sometimes dramatic, for the people. From North to South, all countries of the world are concerned and must adapt, especially to protect the most vulnerable populations.

Onsite: 400 international experts and field actors, 15 conference-debates, a project space, a virtual reality studio, film projections, photo exhibitions, and more.

When Lafayette High School meets the French Red Cross

During the last school year, Lafayette High School in the Puy-en-Velay offered its students the right to register for a "Red Cross section" integrated into the curriculum of their "Citizen Journey", and based on volunteerism. Divided into three groups, students enrolled in the Red Cross section attended during the school year one hour of "special" lessons per week taught by local Red Cross volunteers. They had the task of committing themselves to the four main components proposed as followed:

• Conducting one or two humanitarian projects;
• Being available four entire days as a Red Cross volunteer;
• Participating in two official ceremonies or commemorations;
• And, finally, attending the various courses proposed by the Red Cross

"As we embarked on an adventure by launching this first edition, we were caught up in the enthusiasm of the students; We recorded 72 entries on 450 college students! ", says the high school principal.

What solutions for homeless people?

Every year, during the winter period, the problem of sheltering people on the street or in an exclusion situation arises. Since November 1^st, the Red Cross has launched the “Plan Grand Froid” (i.e. “Great Cold Plan”) Plan in about fifteen departments, resulting in measures to prevent and accompany homeless people in danger. The French State, for its part, increased the number of emergency accommodation places to more than 140 000. The winter period is a seasonal sensitive period that ranges from November 1^st to March 31^st. It is synonymous with the increase of epidemics and infectious diseases linked to the cold and systematically generates, on the side of the State as associations, a strengthening of measures for the prevention and protection of vulnerable populations. In the event of a very cold episode, the level of mobilization is reinforced, through the intensification of marauding or sheltering devices.

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The French Red Cross, founded in 1864, is an independent charity working alongside governments and public authorities. As a key player in society, we provide humanitarian, health, social, welfare and training services. To help carry out our assignments we have a strong team of 18,000 employees and 56,000 volunteers, who on a daily basis, pursue consistent and unwavering charitable principles to provide local support and deliver tangible results and long-term solutions.