On April 18th, the non-profit organization La Marnière held its Annual Assembly on our premises.
Since 1996, this Adventist service of philanthropy and psychosocial support has helped many members. The help provided consists of two main categories. The first is active listening, which leads the person to the appropriate service (lawyer, debt mediation, social welfare center, etc.) so that they can benefit from the assistance to which they are entitled, but which they are too often unaware of. The second component is material or financial assistance, on a one-off or recurring basis, based of course on a documented file. Some members benefit from home help, the installation of a telemonitoring system, or shopping vouchers. During the various crises that have marked our daily lives in recent years, La Marnière has set up special actions that have been a true relief for people on limited incomes.
But over the past few years, Colette Rase, the ASBL’s social worker, has also organized a number of low-cost events, this time open to people outside the church. Whether it’s cultural gatherings, meals, entertainment, trips… all these events have enabled many elderly people to alleviate their loneliness and renew their social ties. Because even when financial problems don’t get in their way, isolation remains one of the major pains faced by the elderly. The hectic lives of children and grandchildren almost automatically distance them from their parents or grandparents. All it takes is a health or mobility problem, and seniors are forced to stay at home, cutting off direct social contact with the church.
Over the past two seasons, Colette has intensified the activities by organizing several “nature” workshops in our church building. In a few weeks, a well-filled season will be crowned with a journey in the footsteps of Impressionist painters.
Unfortunately, the organization’s funds are not inexhaustible. They come from the sale of a home for the elderly, inaugurated in the ’60s in Walloon Brabant and financed mainly by donations from members of the Brussels-Centre church. If you would like to support the organization’s activities financially, please feel free to make a donation to account number BE91 2710 6036 7576. Another way to support La Marnière‘s work with isolated elderly people is to get in touch with your church’s diaconate service and spend some time visiting or calling these people to break the solitude that weighs so heavily on them.
If you would like to be kept informed of the activities of La Marnière, or if you would like to receive more specific information, please contact Colette Rase ([email protected]) or Jacques Rase, President of the association, on 0473/809.123.