Friends launch project to donate meals and help those who need it most
On one hand, homeless people face so many challenges every day, among the most serious is hunger. On the other, restaurants and other commercial establishments are experiencing a considerable decline in clientele. In light of the recent measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, a group of friends and former students found donating meals to the homeless to be a very significant form of action, so they launched the QuarenteneAmor project.
After seeing a video on social media in which homeless people appear desperate for lack of food and having nobody to call for help because everyone is staying at home, the group decided to act.
Without leaving their homes, former students Catarina Henriques, Julia Vasconcelos, Maria Valentina Salomão, Paula Villela, Valentina Moura, and Victoria Henriques, with their friends Gabriela Berbert-Born and Julia Werneck are raising money through online donations to purchase meals from a local restaurant called Kadu Grelhados, located at 709 Norte, in Brasilia, and distributing them to the homeless.
“With all that is going on and the current economic situation, connecting the two seemed to be ideal. People living on the streets need food, and local restaurants need clients. So, we launched the QuarenteneAmor project,” says former student, Paula Villela.
In less than 48 hours after launching the project on Monday, March 23, the group had already raised enough money for more than 1,000 meals, at a cost of 10 reais each. The group is distributing 200 meals every day.
The staff of Kadu Grelhados, the restaurant with which the group has partnered, is delivering the meals in strategic locations in the Federal District - at the Praça do Relógio, in Taguatinga, and at the main bus terminal in the Plano Piloto. Following safety guidelines to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, they have distributed more than 400 meals so far.
World Citizens
Julia Vasconcelos, Nations’ alumna, says that studying at School of the Nations played a crucial role in developing “not only our critical thinking but also solidarity and empathy toward others.” For Julia, community service and volunteer efforts are essential to creating a better world.
“Our School's mission is to educate world citizens, and that is exactly what we are doing here - being world citizens. School of the Nations offers us space and the tools to develop both academic and ethical qualities. We are eternally grateful to School of the Nations” says former student, Julia Vasconcelos.
How can you contribute?
Spread the word about the project among friends and family.
Follow us on Instagram at @quarenteneamor.
Donate money to one of our three accounts:
Gabriela Berbert Born CPF 029.789.081-65 Banco do Brasil (001) Agência 8615-0 CC 5736-3
Valentina Moura Rodrigues da Cunha CPF 050.421.561-27 Banco Bradesco (237) Agência 2837 CC 14504-1
Victoria Henriques de Araujo CPF 047.402.711-25 Nubank (260) Agência 0001 CC 5807540-3
Meet the group: