The Caritas Social Barbershop in Portimão opens its doors next Tuesday, September 15th, dedicated to raising the self-esteem of the most needy and whose project last year won the first edition of the Municipal Volunteering Award.
The new space will operate on Tuesdays, between 15:00 pm and 17:00 pm, in the premises of the Parish Caritas of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, located on Rua Diogo Gonçalves, with the main objective of «fostering the social integration of the less fortunate through the change of visual, thus facilitating their integration into the labor market».
The Barbearia Social is aimed at people in need and the homeless, at no cost, and users must be registered with Cáritas or another non-profit institution in the Social Emergency Network of Portimão.
At the inauguration of the facilities, which took place yesterday afternoon, Mayor Isilda Gomes underlined that “this is the realization of a challenge launched by the municipality to the social movement, which is extremely dynamic among us, to present proposals to improve the provision of care and services to the community, especially to the most needy”, referring to the Municipal Volunteering Award.
“Nobody can have self-esteem if they don't like themselves and, if that happens, they lose their zest for life and stop fighting. We have an obligation to open doors to the most disadvantaged people, indicating paths and providing these fundamental services", justified the mayor, saying that "this barbershop will certainly feed the self-esteem of our fellow citizens, and it is our obligation to help them to regain it".
Isilda Gomes praised the social work of Cáritas, “for its invaluable contribution to the community, especially these days, of great difficulties for everyone, but especially for the most vulnerable”.
“We have to be aware of the most complicated situations, in order to help those who need to overcome this phase, at least with a minimum of dignity, a right that belongs to everyone”, he defended.
The mayor praised the role of the social movement, "which has the gift of multiplying the money allocated to it, not just spending it, as it has many volunteers."
“If the 5 euros of the prize were used to purchase equipment and for the barbershop's facilities, it is certain that volunteering will do the rest and this small budget from the municipality will be multiplied exponentially”, said the president.
The idea of the young barber Bruno Santos took shape about a year ago, was cherished by the institution, became a project and this project won the first edition of the Municipal Volunteering Award.
Born in Portimão 39 years ago, it was in his hometown that he studied barbering in 2019 and, since his mother is a volunteer at Cáritas, he also decided to make his contribution to the community, free of charge.
In a first phase, Bruno will reserve two hours a week, between 15:00 pm and 17:00 pm on Tuesday: “People make advance bookings through Cáritas services and I will gladly be here, helping to improve their look , to see if they have a better chance of getting a job. Who knows…?"
Working in a barbershop in the city, the volunteer explains: “Basically, my desire is to help those in need with some of my free time and what I know. It's the way I found to make myself useful to the society that made me who I am. This, in the end, costs nothing, as long as there is good will, because those who run for pleasure do not get tired.”
Zero Hunger in Portimão
On the occasion, Isilda Gomes addressed the social crisis caused by the current pandemic, recalling that the Municipality of Portimão “granted extraordinary support, which we called covid contracts, mainly to support institutions that provide food to the most needy population”.
And he left a guarantee: “When this support ends, we will be available to reinforce it, as I want zero hunger in this municipality. There is no reason for people to go hungry in Portimão.”
When thanking the “invaluable municipal contribution”, the president of Cáritas Diocesana de Portimão, Maria Manuela Santos, confessed her apprehension for the coming months, giving as an example the fact that “at this moment the institution already supports 397 families, with nearly 900 people, when last February there were only 187 families benefited”.
With around 90 volunteers, from 8 to 80 years old, Cáritas de Portimão has several services, including food and clothing banks, as well as the social cafeteria, which provides 60 meals a day, from Monday to Friday. In addition, it has a Social Store, where various goods donated to the institution are offered for sale, with the proceeds reverting to maintenance expenses.
The Barbearia Social comes to complete the social responses of Cáritas de Portimão, which currently – along with other solidarity institutions – plays an important role in helping the most disadvantaged population.
The second edition of the Municipal Volunteering Award will take place until the end of next October, whose budget for this year has been increased, with 6500 euros having been allocated to the winning project.
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