During Kristiana’s recentvisit to Lisbon, Portugal, shehad the opportunity to volunteer with Comunidade Vida e Paz, “Community Life and Peace”. With 1,000+ homeless in the city of Lisbon alone, this group’s mission is not only to provide food, but to connect with the homeless on a deeper level by speaking with them and offering advice. Five nights per week, three different teams of CVP’s 400 volunteers hea
d out into the streets of Lisbon by way of van, each on a separate volta (route) to ensure every person is attended to. Here’s what Kristiana had to say about the experience…
Upon my arrival to the CVP headquarters, I got to meet my team, “Volta C”. Little did I know that this was the BEST group to be paired up with. Luis, the tall, trendy Creative Director with funky glasses, would be our driver for the evening, escorting me, my dedicated boyfriend who has graciously joined me on this journey; Sandra, sweet and softspoken; Elisabete, the ring leader; and Antonio, funny, sarcastic, former college professor. An eclectic blend that was more than welcoming to the new American team members. We began our conversation exchanging volunteer experiences and getting a quick Portuguese tutorial on common phrases I’d be using throughout the night. I must say, I have heard the Portuguese are extremely good communicators, and my expectations were far exceeded on this night. After an interview with TVI, the Portugal TV network that would be documenting us for the evening for their upcoming segment in January, we packed up the bags of food, piled into the van, and we were on our way to the 17 stops on our itinerary.
The next nine hours were a perfect blend of heartache and happiness. Each back alley, cardboard covered ditch and rat infested parking lot that were the homes and safe havens for the individuals we met with seemed to have gotten worse with each stop. The compassion and reality fueled me as my team continued on our journey. I was amazed at how well the CVP members have grown to know these hidden places and those that lived in them. It was remarkable to see beings surface from their dark and hidden areas upon seeing the headlights of the van that brought them their relied upon, trustworthy and loyal friends at CVP. Dialogs ranged in time; I listened to stories of how some have been without families and lived on the streets since as early as the age of 12, others worked in their dream jobs and were unexpectedly struck with horrible illnesses that forced them out of work, while others were challenged in receiving work papers. Often, hands were shook, jokes were made and smiles were exchanged, leaving me with a warm feeling upon departing from each encounter realizing that this is actually the unique mission that CVP aims to accomplish – making a connection, not just providing food.
At 5AM, Luis dropped us off back at our stay. Exhausted, but completely fulfilled from a most memorable evening spent with Comunidade Vida e Paz volunteers, who I will from now on refer to as angels.
Our gift to the American Red Cross will support emergency relief and recovery efforts to help those people affected by the earthquake. Assistance provided by the American Red Cross includes deploying personnel, sending relief supplies, and providing financial resources.
On a (very) rainy Wednesday, five chicks grabbed their umbrellas and trekked to the Union Square Farmer’s Market to volunteer with City Harvest’s Food Rescue. After meeting our point person, Angela, we hit the ground running and visited each stand to distribute bags to the farmers.
