By: Joana Castanheira, Lara Silva, Carta Jesus, Antónia Pinto and Sarah Monares
The Oeste International Community Volunteers, also known as OICV, supports the international community from different nationalities settling down in Portugal. This association also promotes integration into the local community by working with the local Government, organizations, and community groups. One of the ways the OICV brings people together is through events and fundraising to support local programs that give back to those in need in our community. We are excited to tell you more about our upcoming event that combats food insecurity and reaches those who need food support.
Come Join Us For A Great Way to Give Back
“Aqua Vitea” is a fundraising dinner/dance and talent show that will take place on the 11th of May at “Associação Social e Cultural Paradense” in Casais dos Morgados (near Salir do Porto) from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm, doors open at 6.30pm. This event is a collaboration between Oeste International Community Volunteers (OICV) and the Thirst Project Portugal team (TPP) from Raul Proença Secondary School and, together, they want to make a difference. Half of the money raised at the event will be given to Refood and the other half raised will go to the Thirst Project Portugal (TPP). These teams want to help not only local organizations but also the population of Eswatini Kingdom in Southern Africa.
About The Thirst Project Portugal
The Thirst Project Portugal [TPP] is a non-profit organization with the motto “Giving water is giving life”. By building teams in schools and universities all over the country, this project raises money to build water holes in Africa’s poorest countries where people do not have access to drinking water, and they have to walk for several hours per day loaded with heavy buckets to find a water source. The TPP wants everyone to have the right to clean and easily accessible water and it is currently working to make that possible in the Eswatini Kingdom. At the Raul Proença School, a few students got together, and a team was created with the principle of helping people in need.
About Refood
Refood is an institution in Caldas da Rainha that gives food to families in need in the regional area. Refood 4 Good is an association with the status of an IPSS (Private Institution of Social Solidarity) whose mission is to eliminate food waste and hunger by involving the entire community in a common cause. The Caldas da Rainha nucleus was inaugurated in 2016 and has consistently grown, reaching more and more beneficiaries. The volunteers of this nucleus operate from Monday to Sunday and are involved in tasks related to routes and shifts. The routes primarily involve collecting surplus food and products nearing their expiration date from canteens, restaurants, and supermarkets. On weekdays, five routes are carried out, while on weekends, there are two on Saturdays and three on Sundays. The tasks during shifts include dividing the surplus based on each family’s needs and distributing it to the beneficiaries. Additionally, volunteers handle the organization and cleanliness of the operations center. On weekdays, there are four shifts, and on weekends, one shift operates.
Each beneficiary visits the operations center to collect meals, on average, twice a week. Since they work with surplus food, the number of meals they take varies depending on the day and month. Refood Caldas da Rainha collaborates with various local partners and the general community. In addition to being food sources, these partners ensure the continuity of operations by financing ongoing expenses, consumables, and the maintenance of the nucleus’s equipment and two vans. In the last quarter of 2023, Refood Caldas da Rainha donated 20,530 complete meals, preventing 26,622 kg of food waste. The nucleus supports 152 beneficiaries, distributed among 55 families. Its functioning relies on 163 volunteers, 19 food sources, and 12 partners.
Reserve Your Spot At An Event to Help Others
Come and enjoy yourself at “Aqua Vitae” where you will delight in the 3-course Chinese Cuisine meal accompanied by a Talent Show. The Performance will include all kinds of talent from music and dance to theatre and poetry. All of the performances are from local young people. To book your tickets (€25 per person), please contact the TPP team by email (thirstproject.raulproenca@gmail.com) or Instagram (@raulproencathirstprojectpt). You can also contact the volunteers from OICV, if you are interested in finding out more about their work or want to volunteer, through OICV email (oicv.email@gmail.com) or Facebook page.
Thank you for your support! We look forward to seeing you there!
Acknowledgement: Lucy Gray (Feature editor) ■