Secours Populaire Stages Paris Holiday for 40,000 Children Lacking Vacations

French charity Secours Populaire Français on Wednesday staged its annual “Journée des oubliés des vacances,” giving thousands of children who cannot afford a summer trip a full-day excursion in Paris. Organisers said roughly 40,000 youngsters were expected to visit 60 cultural and recreational sites, take part in 160 activities and join a boat parade on the Seine. The event, now in its 44th year, is intended to offer a holiday experience to children from low-income families and from shelters across the country. “There are still tens of thousands of children in France who never go on vacation, and that is unacceptable,” Secours Populaire secretary-general Henriette Steinberg told reporters. Steinberg added that the charity is observing a rise in families unable to cover basic living costs, underscoring what it calls a widening gap in access to leisure and cultural opportunities. The organisation relies on donations and some 80,000 volunteers to run the one-day festival and its broader poverty-relief programs.