JRS/Welcome Tours

JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service)
JRS Tours is the local branch of JRS France, an association that works alongside asylum seekers and refugees to welcome them, serve them and defend their rights, in order to fight their isolation and social exclusion.

The Welcome programme in Tours
Through a network of volunteer hosts, the programme offers free temporary accommodation to people whose asylum application in France is under way, and who are sometimes left on the street for lack of places in the centres of the national reception system. It is open to single adults, men or women. Guests stay in turn for 4 to 6 weeks with families, religious communities or people living alone.
An agreement signed with the guest sets out a clear framework of rules and good practice, so that hosts can commit themselves in a realistic and safe way, according to their means, while respecting the limits and constraints of the programme.
Each stay is followed by a mentor, also a volunteer, who is the essential link between hosts and guests. This support ensures that the stay runs smoothly and helps the asylum seeker to become more independent, while also getting to know French culture better and thinking about a plan for the future.

Dare to meet: become a Welcome host
Once or several times a year, hosts offer simple hospitality, limited in time but real, with the wish to share a true encounter. The culture of encounter is at the heart of the Welcome programme, regardless of social, political, ethnic or religious background. Meeting someone often turns fear of the stranger into trust and fraternity. It is this trust and fraternity that allow the guest to take back control of their life, make plans and regain momentum towards cultural and social integration.

Contacts:
Jean-Noël Quillet: 0764406206 welcome.tours@jrsfrance.org Website: www.jrsfrance.org (in French)