Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa - Centro Humanitário de São João da Madeira

The Portuguese Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which aims to meet the needs of those in crisis and to guarantee respect for human dignity, promote peace, mitigate the negative impact of conflicts and protect the lives and healthcare of the population. It also seeks to promote humanitarian values, such as that of solidarity towards those in suffering. The local branch of São João da Madeira was created in 1979 and its mission has since then relied on the work of volunteers. It carries out its mission in compliance with the Statutes of the Portuguese Red Cross. Accordingly, our mission is to improve the conditions of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity, while respecting our fundamental principles: Humanity, Impartiality, Independence, Neutrality, Volunteering, Unity and Universality. We aspire to a voluntary commitment from a world of communities that will flourish and become more capable in fighting all the human suffering with the strength of hope, dignity and concern for equity. We respect our history and tradition, but we also seek to find progressive, innovative and inclusive solutions to the new problems threatening human dignity, in a society in constant transformation. Faced with the reality in which we live, our responses are: 1. Food Aid: preparation and distribution of food baskets to families with socioeconomic needs. For this, we carry out food collection campaigns and we have the support of several entities. 2. Horta Comunitária (Community Vegetable Garden): space where the community has the opportunity to plant vegetables, which will be harvested and distributed in food baskets. 3. Frigorífico Solidário (Solidarity Fridge): appealing to the community's civic conscience, who can donate food puts it in the fridge and who needs it, especially the homeless, removes it. 4. Ponto Vermelho (Social Store): clothes, toys, furniture and other materials store, selling the items a symbolic price to people with lower incomes and donating them to those families in extreme difficulties. The products are donated by individuals, companies or traders. 5. (In)Formation and Awareness: promoting workshops on active job search and financial management (among other topics), particularly for the people with socioeconomic difficulties. 6. Care and Support Center for Victims of Domestic Violence: assistance, support, monitoring and counseling of a social, psychological and legal scope to victims of domestic violence. 7. Refugee Relocation and Resettlement Programs: since 2015, the Humanitarian Center is one of the local branches of Portuguese Red Cross that welcomes and streamlines the legal process for the reintegration of refugees. It also provides psychosocial support. It is assumed as a national reference structure in this response to the community. Red Cross Youth is, as the same states, the Youth Department of the Portuguese Red Cross. Always framed in the values and fundamental principles of the organisation, Red Cross Youth develop several interventions with children and youth. The projects are always divided into six distinct areas of intervention: 1. Promotion and Health Education 2. Intervention for Inclusion and Gender Equality 3. Education for Development and International Cooperation 4. Employability, Entrepreneurship and Active Citizenship 5. Environment and sustainability 6. Humanitarian Education The youth department of São João da Madeira develops the projects: 1. #OMeuSol Vive + o verão (#MySun Live + the Summer): this project providing activities for children, youths and adults, with the aim of raising awareness for the risk of sun exposure and for environmentally healthy behaviors. 2. Fazer a diferença com o Dê - o Jogo (Make a difference with Dê - The Game): board game on a human scale, whose objective is to raise the awareness of the youngest to the problems of human trafficking, domestic and dating violence and gender equality. Each theme is accompanied w