Applications are now open for the 2nd semester of the volunteering programme Projeto VIDA - Voluntariado na Católica, aimed at the entire community of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa at its headquarters in Lisbon.

The Projeto Vida offers volunteering opportunities to students, staff, teachers and researchers, enabling them to take part in various social initiatives.

This semester, the programme has new partners, thus broadening its impact on the community, including Casa Pia de Lisboa, Casa de S. Francisco de Assis, Clínica S. João de Ávila, Fundação Infantil Ronald McDonald, Centro Social e Paroquial S. Tomás de Aquino, Vitae and Centro Social Polivalente do Bairro Padre Cruz.

The experience of volunteering has a profound impact on both the community and the volunteers themselves. Bárbara Nunes, a student on the Integrated Master's Degree in Medicine at Católica and a volunteer at the Association of Friends of Santa Maria Hospital (AAHSM), shares her experience: "Since May 2023, I have had the privilege of volunteering weekly at the AAHSM, contributing to the Central Emergency Department. This commitment has already totalled 98 dedicated hours, during which I've had the opportunity to support patients, carers and healthcare professionals in an environment marked by moments of vulnerability and demand". "I strongly believe that volunteering programmes, such as the one promoted by the Portuguese Universidade Católica, Projeto VIDA, play a fundamental role in shaping citizens who are more aware of and committed to collective well-being", she adds.

The importance of volunteering is also emphasised by Maria do Céu Machado, President of the AAHSM, who highlights the essential role of volunteers in the hospital: "Being a volunteer means knowing how to listen, knowing how to speak when you need to, smiling, touching, helping or walking away and coming back later. It means being willing to help, having empathy and compassion for suffering, trying to feel what the Other feels.’ ‘Young or not so young, students or pensioners, people in active life, everyone, EVERYONE is welcome and we thank them all for the time and joy they give to our patients", he emphasises.

Sign up by 19 February.

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At the headquarters of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, the 2024 Christmas Campaign, "The Joy of Giving", was marked by various corporate volunteering activities organised under the VIDA Project - Volunteering at Católica.

This initiative saw the participation of 51 volunteers, including staff, teachers and researchers, who put in a total of 229 hours of voluntary work for three social organisations: Apoio à Vida, CASA and Irmãs de São Vicente de Paulo.

Rita Paiva e Pona, the Rectorate's Advisor for Social Responsibility and coordinator of the Social Responsibility Office, who was responsible for the initiative, highlighted the importance of serving others, aligning the action with the values defended by the University. "Serving means taking care of the fragile in our families, our society, our people. (...) That's why service is never ideological, since we don't serve ideas, but people". (Fratelli tutti, n. 115),’ he recalled the words of Pope Francis.

At Apoio à Vida, the volunteers provided logistical support in collecting and organising donations, a fundamental task for the institution's ongoing support. At CASA, the Catholic team helped with the Christmas party for homeless people and preparing meals in the CASA kitchen. At the Irmãs de São Vicente de Paulo, the focus was on preparing meals at the Rosália Rendu Refectory, which welcomes the most needy on a daily basis, reflecting the spirit of giving and service to the most vulnerable.

The volunteers' testimonies reflect the impact of the experience. Isabel Mourato, Coordinator of the Quality System at Católica, shared about the experience at Irmãs de São Vicente de Paulo: "realising how much remains to be done, in “feeding the hungry”, makes our conscience uneasy and makes us want to return to that house more often!".

Joana Abreu, Coordinator of the CESOP-Local project, was also touched by the experience at CASA: "Being with people in situations of greater vulnerability allowed me to remember the real reason for my work and who it really matters to. It was a moment of human connection that reinforced the sense of impact we seek to achieve every day".

For Erica Nascimento, Dean's Office Development Advisor at CATÓLICA-LISBON, it was her first experience of volunteering. "I felt that, even for just one day, I could contribute to alleviating all the work they have to do. I'll definitely do it again".

Volunteering was also an opportunity for personal reflection for Carlos Barros, a lecturer at the Faculty of Human Sciences: "Volunteering with Irmãs de São Vicente de Paulo had a profound impact on the central idea of leaving one's comfort zone and dedicating time and energy to the Other. That moment, team and place reaffirmed the importance of ‘We’ and not just ‘I’ - and I was delighted to take part".

Volunteering reflects the Universidade Católica's ongoing commitment to solidarity, providing the academic community with the opportunity to make an active contribution to society and strengthening the bonds between them.

On 10, 11 and 12 March, HeforShe UCP Lisboa and the Social Responsibility Office are teaming up to collect baby products. The donations will be given to Apoio à Vida, one of the partners of VIDA - Voluntariado na Católica, whose mission is to support pregnant women in situations of psychological, family or social difficulty.

At the moment, Apoio à Vida needs support with the following products: shampoo, wipes, shower gel, saline solution, moisturising cream, nappy rash cream and breastfeeding pads. 

You can drop off your donation at one of these locations between 09h00 and 17h00:

 

• HeforShe headquarters
• FCH Bar
• Social Responsibility Office

We're counting on everyone's help!