VOLUNTEERING IN ERICEIRA

From 15 to 24 June, several students who completed their 2nd year of Baccalaureate last June travelled to Portugal to carry out volunteer work at the Lar de São Lourenço residential home in Ericeira, a town on Portugal’s Atlantic coast renowned for its surfing community.

Each morning, together with Sara, the social worker, we take part in group activities that are far more than simple entertainment. She carefully designs them to encourage social interaction, stimulate cognitive abilities and, above all, help prevent loneliness and isolation by creating a lively and welcoming environment. We draw, paint and make crafts; in short, we prepare the decorations for the traditional Portuguese Popular Saints celebrations, in this case, St John’s Day. These activities contribute to the residents' cognitive and physical well-being, although some of them are no longer able to look after themselves independently.

At the end of each volunteering day, we have lunch at the residence before enjoying the beaches of Ericeira, where, as the town’s slogan proudly claims, "the sea is bluer." And it really is!

One day we visit Sintra; another day we travel to Mafra, home to the Royal Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also visit Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe. We travel to Peniche and to Nazaré, the famous coastal town where, between October and March, the world's largest waves can be seen. We also make a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Fátima and, after entrusting all our intentions to Our Lady, walk to Aljustrel, the village of the three shepherd children. Altogether, it has been a truly rewarding experience in which volunteering has gone hand in hand with culture and leisure.

Ever since the idea arose to repeat this initiative, which first began last academic year, we organised various fundraising activities to help reduce the cost of the trip.

The Early Years and Primary Christmas celebration, together with the sale of second-hand books generously donated by many school families and the refreshments stall, were our first fundraising initiatives. Throughout the year, the Thursday solidarity breakfasts also helped raise awareness among students of all ages about this volunteering project.

For Sant Jordi, Primary students created yellow rose wrappers and bookmarks, which we sold at both the school stall and the stall on Josep Pla Street in Girona, together with 450 roses, 50 rose plants and even more second-hand books generously donated by school families.

Finally, we also raised funds through the sale of ice creams and fruit purées during the Maternal celebration.

Obrigada! Thank you all very much for your generosity and support. From the bottom of our hearts!

The following 2nd Baccalaureate students took part in this volunteering project: Nora Beringues, Valerie Betancourt and Jana Seriñá. They were accompanied by Lara Roura and Fina Trèmols.