Solidarity in Crisis

Crises reveal village solidarity's strength. During COVID-19 lockdowns, villages organized support networks that larger communities struggled to replicate. In Saint-Julien-le-Petit, volunteers coordinated shopping for the elderly, teachers delivered lessons to students without internet, and neighbors checked on isolated residents daily.

"The pandemic showed our strength," reflects Mayor Forestier. "We knew who needed help, how to organize quickly, how to support each other. Our small size, usually seen as weakness, became advantage. Everyone mattered; no one was forgotten."

Natural disasters similarly activate solidarity. When flooding hit in 2018, the village mobilized immediately. "Before official help arrived, we'd already evacuated vulnerable residents, sandbagged critical points, organized shelter," recalls fire chief Paul Dubois. "We know our territory, our people, our resources. That local knowledge is irreplaceable."