It was on the night of March 24th that more than 40 people came together to support the work of the first sponsor group in Portugal, in a fundraising event. The sponsoring group Chaves Acolhe started this journey almost a year ago, when one of its members decided to be part of this movement, after a ComUnidade awareness session. The mobilization process in Chaves began and soon several people wanted to join this innovative initiative! After a rigorous training process, the group acquired the necessary tools to devise a solid and effective strategy to be able to receive refugees and support their inclusion.
Fundraising is an essential part of this process, as it allows the group to acquire goods and collect donations to support the initial preparation phase. This is also a way of involving the local community in the group's work and in rebuilding the life of a refugee family.
This solidarity dinner was an important milestone on this trip, as it not only allowed recognition of the group's work and solidified support for the program, but also sensitized many locals to the refugee cause, uniting several people with a common goal, having managed to raise the funds needed to fully furnish the family home. The dinner took place at Quinta da Mata in Chaves, with the presence of several local and regional actors. Participants had the opportunity to witness a musical moment performed by a student of the Chaves Sopros Orchestra, as well as to be part of the collaborative construction of a piece of art to be given to the family upon their arrival.
