The Fund team and Envoys to the Fund, Mr Gavin Boyle and Mr and Mrs Condon visited Order of Malta France projects across Paris in March 2012. The visit included a presentation by Ordre de Malte France on their international works and plans for the years ahead as well as project visits to the Fleuron St Jean and Fleuron St Michel, boats providing accommodation, reintegration training and food for the homeless of Paris. Later that day a visit was made to the Maison Ferrari home for the elderly, also run by Ordre de Malte France, a home that provides healthcare and a calm and comforting living environment for hundreds of elderly people every year.
Julie Condon, on visiting the Fleuron St Jean boat for the homeless said:
The ethic of care and dedication to the needy that we witnessed today is both inspiring and infectious. You can tell that volunteers come to the Fleuron because they really have the passion to help and Ordre de Malte France provides the space for them to be able to do so effectively. One of the homeless guests on the Fleuron told me that he feels less lonely on nights spent on the Fleuron, and that this in itself gives him the drive to do more and focus on leading a happier life. The value of works like these is hard to measure in quantifiable terms, but impacts the lives of so many for the better. I can only hope that works like these will continue to grow, reaching out to more forgotten people every year.’ Mrs Julie Condon, Envoy for mothers and new-borns without healthcare
The International Fund Office is looking forward to future visits to Ordre de Malte France projects and will be attending the ‘Journées de l’International’ conference in Paris in October.