Latest news and stories about community support in Portugal for expats and residents.
This week, we want to begin with a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our recent food drive. The “Banco Solidário Animal” initiative, organised by Animalife in The post A huge thank you – and meet Touro and What appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Carlos Moia, executive president of the Benfica Foundation, says that the association joined 'the big ones' to help people who lost everything in the floods in Alcácer do Sal.
The Coliseums of Lisbon and Porto will host two charity shows in May for the victims of storm Kristin, which devastated the Leiria region last winter.
From Batalha to Alcoutim, initiatives for infrastructure, firefighters, and cultural equipment can now receive support from citizens and companies, with no commissions.
The Casa do Brasil Coimbra has signed a protocol to launch its Psychological Support Office. This partnership with psychologist Juliana Tiemi is the first of four agreements the institution will formalise this year to build a support network for the community. According to president Daniel Domingos, the office aims to provide a space for listening and emotional support for Brazilians living in Coimbra, with future plans for workshops and potential discounts on certain services.
The municipality of Castelo Branco commits to allocating a total financial support of 325,000 euros to the Amato Lusitano association for social inclusion and territorial cohesion projects.
In the interior of Portugal, the city of Fundão has become a hub for immigrant integration. Naryon Coelho, a Brazilian resident, founded the 'Associação de Apoio Brazuca e Amigos' (AABA) to help newcomers navigate local life, combat misinformation, and foster cultural exchange between immigrants and the local Portuguese population.
The 43rd edition of the International Children's Football Tournament, organised by the Clube Atlético e Cultural (CAC), was presented today under the threat of being the last, given the unfulfilled promises of the Lisbon City Council.
The local Pombal Solidário fund is 'a financial instrument of civil society, for solidarity support, which has been in preparation for about a month', stated the Mayor.
Two young people created a solidarity warehouse in Marinha Grande to support the victims of Storm Kristin.
Two young people created a solidarity warehouse in Marinha Grande to support the victims of Storm Kristin.
Currently operating autonomously, Caritas Lisbon proposes coordinating the work carried out by social shops within its diocese.
The goal of the new edition of the BPI “la Caixa” Foundation Awards, for which Expresso is a media partner, is to finance solutions for social problems, ranging from job placement to the empowerment of vulnerable people. Applications close on April 9.
The article discusses the aftermath of Storm Kristin in Alvaiázere, Portugal, highlighting the vulnerability of local housing. Three weeks post-storm, local officials, including the president of the Pussos São Pedro parish, are actively supporting affected residents, often at the expense of their own properties. The situation underscores the need for better disaster preparedness and community support in the region.
A wave of solidarity for the victims of storm Kristin in Alcácer do Sal led António Antunes to donate goods after watching a CMTV report on the scene.
They are raising money and essential goods and delivered 17 appliances this Friday.
The Leiria Unida project has been distributing essential goods kits to villages in the municipality. Volunteers go door to door, delivering food and offering attention, as it's not just roofs that need repair. Friday marked the first day Leiria Unida reached Monte Redondo, following a week in the União de Freguesias das Colmeias and Memória. The initiative is promoted by the Asteriscos association, in collaboration with the Lobos de Leiria and ADCCMI clubs. Filipa Sapinho, coordinating the on-ground work, is busy preparing essential goods kits for distribution by volunteer teams, each with a list of homes to visit, identified by the local council. Ricardo Henriques, a volunteer since day one, explains that the kits serve as an icebreaker, allowing people to open up about their needs, which often include simply being heard and receiving a bit of care. The project also addresses psychological support, with free consultations available. Raul Testa, president of Asteriscos, noted the severe need in the area, prompting the project to compile data on each case for future assistance. Volunteers have encountered deep poverty and situations where people have not been visited for days. The project aims to provide ongoing support and has involved around 100 volunteers from across the country, highlighting the importance of human connection in times of crisis.
After the most distressing days following the series of storms that hit Portugal starting January 28, with the depression Kristin followed by Leonardo, Marta, and Nils, and as the most affected areas begin to recover—a process that will take months to complete—it is time to highlight some of the personalities who were on the front lines during the most problematic days, rather than retreating into 'learning moments' and desk work. While it is impossible to mention everyone who helped the communities from the outset and raised awareness of the difficulties they faced, there are a few commendations to make. The mayor of Coimbra, Ana Abrunhosa, has been a prominent figure in her region, demonstrating great communication skills and explaining her decisions clearly. This attitude earned her praise from the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who remarked, 'She was always tense.' Another mayor who gained media exposure was the president of Leiria, Gonçalo Lopes, whose region suffered the most from the depression Kristin, causing millions in damages and leaving thousands without electricity and many homes and businesses without roofs. He was also present from the start, addressing the issues faced by his constituents, and had to listen to former Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral, state that she did not know 'what went wrong' in the prevention and subsequent support for affected populations, adding that this situation was a 'collective learning experience.' Those who saw the television images also noted the mayor's surprised expression. His commitment to the population was expressed in an interview published in Diário de Notícias on the 12th, where he emphasized, 'I will leave this fire station when everyone in Leiria has electricity.' This has not yet happened. Lastly, attention goes to the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, who, alongside the Prime Minister, was the most visible government official on the ground. While the management of dams and water flows is the responsibility of the Portuguese Environment Agency, she was present in the affected areas, spoke with people, and made decisions. Although she did her job, compared to other government members, she ends up receiving praise.
There are 2,481 elderly people living alone in Porto's social housing. A programme to identify cases of social isolation is entering its fourth edition, but a more comprehensive project will still have to wait.
Home News Church to support families affected by bad weather Church to support families affected by bad weather Bishop Manuel Neto Quintas announced in this year’s Lenten message that the Diocese of Algarve will create a solidarity fund to support families affected by the bad weather.
KRISTIN • REPORT || Idalina Mendes, 60, suffering from severe osteoporosis since the age of 40, was alone in Lagos, Alvaiázere, when the wind began to push her house. José Mendes, also from the family, was in Lisbon and came as quickly as he could because the route he found was a disaster, with everything blown to one side and the other, over the road and houses. Their house is now slowly falling apart; nevertheless, they offered a room to a couple whose home was completely destroyed. This is not charity; it is the community functioning internally at a time when everything else is failing - and when outside help takes days to arrive. When it does arrive...
Anabela Neves says the package announced by Luís Montenegro 'looks like copy-paste' and fails on the essential: an immediate on-the-ground response. In the commentary section of CNN Portugal she also asks 'where is the central government' in providing roof tiles, food and generators, stressing that support has come mainly from volunteers, local authorities and communities.
Officers are providing transport to relatives of people who are without communications or electricity due to the severe weather.
REPORT || The fire brigade in Pataias, Leiria, was surprised when a couple of Syrian refugees brought three trays of chicken mandi to feed them, before they saw for themselves the damage the storm had done to their farm. Nearby, a retired man saved his wife by bracing with his shoulders a window that had been blown by the wind.
The actress offered to help in any way necessary.
The woman had not been seen since Christmas 2023.
The local authority's social programme aims to facilitate access to information, ensure support and social protection, and strengthen the community's wellbeing, inclusion and cohesion.
The holiday season once again showed the strength and kindness of our local community, and everyone at Cadela Carlota (Lagos) would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the partners, The post Community support makes a difference at Cadela Carlota appeared first on Portugal Resident.
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