S.I.S. project – Ulla Rapazote
S.I.S PROJECT
S.I.S. är en paraply-organisation för olika mindre välgörenhetsorganisationer i många olika länder och alla arbetar som obetalda men entusiastiska frivilliga för att hjälpa människor i utsatta situationer.
På S.I.S. hemsida hittar du mer information. Det finns också en Facebook-sida.
Vår Swea Ulla Rapazote är aktiv inom S.I.S. och har en stor årlig insamling för behövande runt Cascais och Estoril, med en s.k. Julkasse. Här kan du läsa mer: S.I.S.Julkasse.
Ulla gör också viktiga stödinsatser under året vid akuta situationer, som Socialkontoren i Cascais och Estoril larmar om.
I sin verksamhet hjälper Ulla även hemlösa djur.
Vill du vara med och hjälpa till?
Hjälpbehovet är stort. Det finns människor här i Portugal som inte har mat för dagen, inte har pengar till de mediciner de behöver, de kan inte betala räkningar etc. Coronaviruset har skördat offer på olika sätt!
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WE ARE COUNTING ON YOUR HELP – PLEASE!!
For the X-mas hampers we would appreciate any contribution – small or big – to be
deposited until the end of November. We are packing the hampers Dec. 4 and 5, and
distributing Dec. 6 and 7.
After Christmas, we will continue handing out weekly or monthly hampers for as long as we have your support!
X-mas hampers 2021. Klicka här så får du veta mera
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Update of the Covid Appeal 30/03/2021
Making the accounts after one year of the pandemic, and after
one year of our special Covid fundraiser, we are in awe and so
very grateful, as the generous donations to help have been way
beyond our expectations!
Read more: Thank You Easter 2021
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Dear Friends,
It is now over 11 months since we started the fundraising for families in need in Cascais and
Estoril. The response has been wonderful and very generous, to date we have raised over
€75,000 (incl. special donations for X-mas and Easter). The money is being used for food and
medicines for a vast number of people, selected by the Social Services (Junta de Freguesia).
We all know the pandemic and the confinements are causing people to struggle more than ever.
It has been calculated that 60,000 families in Portugal will loose their homes, because they
cannot pay their mortgages. Many are turning for help for the 1st time in their lives – to feed
their families.
We are very grateful that we have been able to continue the work of distributing food hampers
incl. medicines – all through these difficult months! Every week, there are more hampers going
out from our warehouse at the Junta de Freguesia in Cascais. Sometimes we have had to be less
generous with the contents, due to lack of money, but we have always managed to give
something to those most in need! And this is only possible because of your continuous support!
Easter is around the corner and it is an important festivity in Portugal. We might be too
ambitious, but we are hoping to make 100 families happy with very special, and very generous
Easter Hampers! For this, we need your help, please!
Hoping you may enjoy the arrival of Spring, we wish you and your loved ones a safe and virusfree Easter!
Warmest regards,
Ulla, Filipa and Colleen
Contributions to:
S.I.S Ulla Rapazote
NIB 0007 0000 00383417430 23
PT50 0007 0000 0038 3417 4302 3
BIC/SWIFT BESCPTPL
Ulla Rapazote
gita.rapazote@gmail.com
www.sisproject.org
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2020 – 11 – 10
Help fill our CHRISTMAS HAMPERS 2020
– Ajuda para os CABAZES DE NATAL 2020 –
Dear Friends,
Please help us fill the special CHRISTMAS HAMPERS this year too!
See attachment!
Thank you and warm greetings!
Ulla & the S.I.S. Team
Caros Amigos,
Por favor voltem a ajudar-nos este ano a encher os cabazes especiais de Natal!
Ver anexo!
Muito obrigada e calorosamente!
Ulla & Equipa de S.I.S.
Ulla Rapazote
Attachment/Anexo X-mas hampers 2020 – Ulla Rapazote
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2020 – 05 – 30
Dear Friends,
It is now almost 2 months since we started our fundraiser to help needy families in Cascais and Estoril – often victims of the present Covid19-crisis.
It is with immense gratitude we can tell you we have just reached €30,000! But, the money does not stay long in the bank account, as we are constantly ordering more food from the cash & carry where we get extremely good prices to purchase both foods and toiletries.
There are also generous companies/restaurants and private people helping and donating both ready-made meals and foods. Sometimes someone comes around with 50 fresh chickens to the Social Services! Or, some fishermen of Cascais got together and fished and delivered 100 kgs of cleaned fish.
Every day, the Social Services (Junta de Freguesia of Cascais and Estoril) receive an average of 20 new requests for help. Each family/person is interviewed and checked by the Social Services, a case history is made, and necessities evaluated.
We (S.I.S.) receive information of the number of members of each family, their ages and if there are any special needs (for. ex. nappies and food for babies).
A warehouse has been set up at the Social Services Centre in Cascais and as soon as we receive the lists of people needing help, our S.I.S. team of volunteers start packing the hampers – sometimes late into the night!
All hampers are delivered to the families by especially trained volunteers from the Social Services.
HAMPERS
Up to today we have helped feed 445 families with generous hampers with food and necessities.
PHARMACY BILLS
52 families have been helped with over €3,800.
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS
Some associations (for ex. WRVS, IWP, Jordan Build and the Associação dos Pupilos do Exército) have kindly informed their members of the urgent needs, and many of the members have come with food bags to the Social Services, or deposited money into our account.
THE NEED CONTINUES!!
Even though the lock-down in Portugal has been lifted to a certain extent, many companies and restaurants are fighting for their survival and employees have already been fired or will be let go when we come to the end of next month. It is estimated that about 30% of all restaurants in the Cascais area will disappear …
There is a dramatic need for help to feed families who literally have nothing! They can’t feed their children – or, themselves!
SOME CASE HISTORIES
– Dona N. is 84 years old and receives a pension of €600. Her rent is €500… She is helping a daughter who got blind from diabetes, and who in her turn had a baby who is mentally and physically handicapped…
– Sr. B. was working as a driver but was made redundant. For the time being he receives an unemployment subsidy of €564. His rent is €350. Not difficult to understand there is not enough money to pay bills and feed himself and his 15-year old son.
– Sr. A. 82 years old, lived and worked in South Africa during many years, but returned to Portugal empty handed when the violence in SA became too much. He now lives in a rented room costing €250/month, which is paid by his 85 and 87 year old sisters. He has no food.
– D. M. – 47 years old – worked as a maid, but was told not to come to work when the pandemic started. Since then she has tried to survive with her 20-year old son who is studying. They have nothing and are many months behind in a rent of €400/month…
And the stories continue – every day new ones, always so sad! We fear there will be even more for many months (years?) to come.
Attached is a photo report of how we help thanks to you! Klicka här: Hjälpprojekt för familjer i Cascais/Estoril
Will you please help us continue helping these people? We can only do it as long as we continue receiving your help!
Please help by doing a bank transfer to:
S.I.S. Ulla Rapazote
Konto: Novo Banco, Monte Estoril
IBAN: PT50 0007 0000 0038 3417 4302 3
SWIFT / BIC BESCPTPL – please write your name and email address on the bank transfer so we can thank you!
On behalf of the people who without your help would go hungry and without necessary medicines we THANK YOU!
With kind regards,
Ulla & Filipa
Ulla Rapazote & Filipa Schlesinger Sottomayor
mobil: +351 91 4072797
Alla bidrag är hjärtligt välkomna – stora som små!
Varm hälsning och tack
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Läs mer om hjälparbetet här nedan.
Dear Friends,
A big thank you to all of you who are helping us help families in great need in the Cascais and Estoril area!
We are happy to announce that since March 30 and up to today, we have received €21,000!!!
This money has been distributed promptly, and thanks to many volunteers, we have helped families in need as follows:
HAMPERS
159 families have received very generous hampers, packed with dry foods, tinned vegetables, fresh vegetables and fruits, meat, fish, olive oil, milk, cereals, shampoo, soap and toothpaste…
Some families are small with only 1 – 2 people, and, some are bigger with up to 9 people. We have managed to repeat hampers, especially to the bigger families, who are in greater need.
So, reading 159 families, means a lot more than 159 hampers!
With prices increasing daily at food stores, we have counted with the help of a trading company, who has negotiated the purchase of most of these products with great discounts. In some products the discount is up to 60%! That means that we are able to help more people with less money. Please note that each hamper is now packed with goods totaling between 125€-200€. In some cases, the larger families get more. So far, we have received 5 truckloads of goods at the Rosário Social Centre (Junta de Freguesia). A volunteer team led by Colleen Fisher and her daughters, are in charge of organizing, packing and distributing the hampers.
PHARMACY BILLS
At this stage we have managed to pay medications for 57 persons/families costing over 1,300€.
One of the persons who received medicines was infected with the COVID 19 virus, but has since been tested twice and seems to have recovered! This is amazing news!
OTHER BILLS
In extreme cases, we have been able to help pay some gas, electricity or water bills – in order to avoid even worse calamity.
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS & HELP
We also count on the help from entities/companies that are willing to contribute in many different ways. We have contacted many and here are some examples of extraordinary results:
CASCAIS HOSPITAL:
– There is a group of volunteer seamstresses working on the making of protective gear for the hospital staff. They needed TNT textile and elastic for this. Through the shop Park dos Tecidos, hundreds of meters of this textile and elastic has been donated. Elastics have also been donated by some private people and some companies. Please see attached PDF file with pictures of the protective gear!
– The staff also needed more coffee capsules for their endless shifts. A couple of weeks ago we donated 1700 capsules, and since then, through contacts and the generosity of Delta Cafés, a further 1100 capsules have been delivered.
– Meals on wheels; a group of friends have got together and are supplying 30 meals per day, five times a week.
– Fresh baked pies have been delivered weekly to the hospital, donated by Confraria da Empada. Please see attached PDF file for pictures.
– 800 bottles of shampoo have arrived at the hospital donated by AC Cosmetics.
We are in constant contact with nurse Rita Antunes, Dr. Fábio and Dr. Ivo at the Cascais Hospital. They have forwarded their gratitude to ALL, but at this stage they haven not had the time to put it in writing.
ESTORIL FIRE DEPARTMENT
-Hundreds of energy bars were delivered and the department has thanked ALL via their social media. Everyone is so grateful for the help they receive, but unfortunately, at this stage, it is not enough!
In an ideal world, we would have new hampers with tinned and fresh produce to deliver each week to the most needy families. But unfortunately, our world is not ideal – especially not now!
We need more money! Please help us help those in need! Again!
As usual, we work tightly together with the Social Services in Cascais and Estoril. They select the families and follow up on their needs.
SOME CASE HISTORIES
A 45 yr old mother lives with her 2 children at the camping site of Guincho. She used to work as a cleaner, but was made redundant with no salary when Corona started, because the employers were afraid of being contaminated. She is divorced, her brother who lives in France, used to help her financially, but now he has been made redundant as well, and cannot get back to Portugal. Her rent is €700/month – she does not have that money – nor money for food. Today she received a huge hamper from us.
57-year old J. used to work as a professional fado-singer in a restaurant in Lisbon and lives in a rented room in a pension in Cascais. The restaurant closed, J. became redundant, and he does not qualify for any subsidies of unemployment or anything else, as he has a debt to the Social Securities …
37-year old K. used to work in a restaurant – but with no contract which is a common situation in Portugal. The restaurant has closed and he has no income – no food.
An elderly mother , who has a heart condition, apart from cancer, is living off a monthly sick pension of €337. Her 42 year old schizophrenic son gets a pension of €297. Another 28 your old son has a temporary in come from a clearing Company of €600/month. In the household is also an abusive, invalid husband – he has now restricted his domestic violence to being verbal.
43-yr old I. was working as a cleaner in a hotel in Cascais, earning €613/month. The hotel closed, but she is ”lucky” and will still get €535. However, her husband who was working in the construction business, was made redundant with no subsidies, as he had no contract. They have to pay a rent of €402/month and also have to feed a 14 year old daughter.
The case histories continue endlessly …
The elderly and disabled, who should be able to enjoy living of a decent pension right now, are struggling to survive on amounts around €230 – €300/month – if they receive anything at all. Very often they are now also stranded with younger family members, who come to live with them as they have no work, no home and no income at all.
As this crisis is getting more and more precarious, we are getting more and more requests for help to ”at least get food”… stop the hunger.
Will you please help us continue helping? We are so grateful for anything you might want to contribute with!
If you know of any company or person who would have food or other necessities to give away, please let us know! Maybe you have trees with oranges and lemons in your garden?
If you know anyone who might not be on our mailing-lists, please forward this mail to them!
Attached is an updated photo-story of this last weeks event (2020-03-30 t.o.m. 2020-04-24)
Hjälpprojekt under Coronakris I
With kind regards, Ulla & Filipa