Comunidade Vida e Paz, an IPSS that emerged in 1988, has 32 years of experience in rebuilding the lives of homeless people. Through an integrated action of prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration, Comunidade Vida e Paz, in 2020 alone, supported more than 490 people daily on the street, distributed 180,000 meals, welcomed 210 people in its centers and 115 residents moved to the social reintegration phase.

The street can never be someone’s home and so organizations like Comunidade Vida e Paz can continue to change lives, everyone’s help is important. For the same reason, and for the tireless work done by this IPSS, FLAD decided to donate 26,000 euros, which corresponds to 1 year of expenditures of the new Integrative Center of Comunidade Vida e Paz in Olaias, Lisbon. This space allows to accommodate homeless couples, even accompanied by their pets, in order to build a new life project for its residents.

With the support of a network of 602 volunteers, 149 employees, and several benefactors, supporters, and friends, this IPSS integrates into its work all the necessary support to the homeless, ranging from the street to social reintegration.

The contact, signaling and referral of people in situations of homelessness or social vulnerability, as is the case of families in need, takes place with the Street Teams of the Comunidade Vida e Paz, with daily routes in Amadora, Lisbon, Loures, and Odivelas.

“These teams (…) through the distribution of a meal, with the aim of establishing contact with the person and beginning to develop a relationship of trust, seek to talk so that then the person feels motivated to change their life.” Renata Alves, General Director of Comunidade Vida e Paz

After the establishment of this contact, supported homeless people are welcomed in the Open Space for Dialogue, which assesses and guides them towards a response that is appropriate to their problem, whether inside or outside the services of Comunidade Vida e Paz.

In addition to removing these people from the street, the greatest goal of Comunidade Vida e Paz is to help them achieve their full autonomy. Therefore, the IPSS has available several accommodation options (such as insertion communities – Quinta da Tomada and Quinta do Espírito Santo – and apartments), creates rehabilitation plans adjusted to each resident, seeking to develop the personal, social and professional skills indispensable for reintegration into society, but also has a residence of continued mental health care, two therapeutic communities (in Fátima and in Tomada) for the treatment of additions and a post-discharge follow-up program for the various centers of the Comunidade.

How to Help?

As we all know, the pandemic has decreased, and it even closed, most of the services available to the homeless population. However, Comunidade Vida e Paz continued to meet these people in difficulty and further strengthened their services of support and distribution of essential goods.

Continuing to help the Comunidade Vida e Paz is decisive, especially at this time, and you can do so in many ways. To find all the information you need see down below and/or here: https://www.cvidaepaz.pt/ajudar/#!/doacoes.

Donations: Make a donation to the Comunidade Vida e Paz, as much as you want and can, through:

  • Reference entity;
  • Bank transfer (to Montepio General: PT500036 0000 9910 5505051 96; Caixa Geral de Depósitos: PT500035 0675 0003 5284 6306 8; or Novo Banco: PT500007 0023 0054662 0018 93);
  • MBWAY (for 912 340 222);
  • PAYSHOP (through CTT services);
  • Sending postal coupon/cheque (to Rua Domingos Bomtempo, nº 7 1700-142 Lisbon)

Donations in kind: Food, hygiene products, clothing, footwear, or other essential goods are necessary for people who Comunidade Vida e Paz supports daily, whether for residents in the centers of the Comunidade or for the more than 490 homeless people covered by the Street Teams.

If you have these products and want to join this cause, deliver or send them to Comunidade Vida e Paz: Rua Domingos Bomtempo, nº 7, 1700-142 Lisbon. Deliveries can be made between 9 am and 8 pm, every day.

0.5% of your IRS: When filling out your IRS remember that you can help the Comunidade. Mark with an X in field 1101 and type NIF 502 310 421 on table 11 of model 3. That way, 0.5% of your IRS will be delivered to the Comunidade Vida e Paz, at no cost to you and will be helping those who need it most.

Friends of the Comunidade: Life-changing friendships. You can contribute to Comunidade’s activity through the direct debit system. The minimum contribution is €5/month. Become a friend of the Comunidade here: https://www.easypay.pt/form/?f=amigos-da-comunidade

Volunteering: Volunteers are a key part of the intervention with homeless people. The action of the Comunidade is only possible thanks to the work of its volunteers, who every day, in the most diverse activities (in the Open Space for Dialogue, in the Therapeutic and Insertion Communities, Christmas Parties, Clothing Bank, Street Teams, etc.), give a little of themselves to this cause. Find out how you can become a volunteer here: voluntariado@cvidaepaz.pt.

Value-added call: These calls are a little big help. Call 760 50 10 20 (call cost 0,60€+VAT). Making this call means fighting poverty and social exclusion in a simple and wick manner.

Community companies: Give the best you have in your company. Putting hours, resources and work skills of your employees at the service of those who need it most is also a way to contribute. There are several areas of collaboration: consulting, design, communication, auditing, computing, among others.

Let’s help?