A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICAL CHARITABLE WORK
UNDERTAKEN BY THE MEMBERS OF THE ALLIANCE

 

France
Website:www.ordredesaintjean.asso.fr

The Oeuvres de Saint Jean were founded in 1961 and started their activity by helping other French Protestant charities involved in child care and hospital work.

In 1975, there was founded the first Hostel for parents of children in hospitals or in need of care. This house was where the Oeuvres de Saint Jean learnt how to put into practice the values of the Order: recruiting staff that shared in the Order's values and organising the Hostel in order to give the guests a maximum amount of freedom while providing them with a family atmosphere and welcome at a reasonable price.

In 1990 the Order of Malta financed the equipment of a parents' hostel in the Necker Hospital the largest public paediatric hospital in France, and the Oeuvres de Saint Jean was asked to take over the management of this new house. A year later the Oeuvres de Saint Jean was asked to take of the management of the parents' hostel of the Marrow Grafts Department of the Saint Louis Hospital in Eastern Paris.

In 1998 the Order sold their first house and set up a new hostel in a hospital in Eastern Paris, which is run by the Diaconesses de Reuilly a religious congregation of protestant nuns. This house is open to parents of people treated in hospitals of the Paris region as well as to out-patients, people who are about to go into hospital, and patients who have just been discharged.

The Oeuvres de Saint Jean are now a recognised partner of the governmental Health Authority and as such are involved in projects to develop new hostels in and around Paris.

The financial resources of the Oeuvres de Saint Jean come from grants from the State Medical Insurance system which cover part of the expenses, and from donations from the Knights, sponsors and members of the general public who are interested in its mission and achievements.