God's Guidance to Feed Spirit, Soul, and Body.
In 2000, the Good Samaritan Social Centre began with a mission to feed God's people. While spiritual food was important, we recognized the need to provide nourishment for the spirit, soul, and body. This led to the creation of the "Restored Image" house, a place where we housed and helped individuals and families struggling with addiction, emotional healing, and trust issues.
Our goal was to empower them to take responsibility for their actions and rebuild their lives.
'The Oasis'
During the financial crisis in Portugal, we started feeding those in need with hot soup, bread, and fruit on the streets. As the people in our centers were growing and taking responsibility for their lives, we had to close down our centers in Setubal and move to a new location in Moita, where we established "The Oasis" center.
Initially, we provided housing for men struggling with addiction, but our vision evolved as these men were restored. We then reached out to students who faced emotional and racial challenges after moving from Africa to study in Portugal.
Adapting to Serve: Covid-19
Our vision shifted towards creating a family environment that embraced students, teaching them life skills such as forgiveness, self-care, cooking, and cleaning. Our mission to provide food to those in need, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or marital status, remained steadfast. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, we adapted our operations and worked with a small team, including Oasis residents, to provide aid to those in need. Following government guidelines, we distributed masks, gloves, and acrylic glass for protection and served approximately 70 families. Additionally, we delivered to 25 families every Monday.
Today we are still giving bags of food, bread, fruit, vegetables, and cakes, this has again recently grown.
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Christ Church in Redditch
In the early years, we partnered with an English Church that sent a group of youth to assist with our mission, cleaning streets and serving the community. These young volunteers gained perspective on their own lives and some are now working in underserved areas of other nations, while others have become teachers in regions facing difficulties.
We maintain contact with this local church in England.
Grateful for the Support
We express our gratitude to all those who have supported our mission, including the local marketplaces and supermarkets in Setubal, private organizations, and individuals who have donated food, clothes, and provided financial assistance both in Portugal and England.
Without your help, we could not have accomplished all that we have so far. In addition to our work here in Portugal, we have also sent containers filled with clothes, dried food, bicycles, and other essentials to Angola with the assistance of other Christian organizations in the UK and the Angolan Embassy.
As our efforts continue, we are working closely with a school in a challenging area, providing teaching and support to students facing racism. We collaborate with local government to shift mindsets and improve the community environment. Our commitment is to serve communities and nations in need of help.
