Brazil: Supporting the Pelotas Integration Center
On the far southern edge of Brazil, there is a place that combats the struggles of poverty and hunger for many families. In this underserved community stands a ray of hope, the Pelotas Integration Center. This place is where children and families like nine-year-old Sofia and her mother can gather to receive the warmth of love, a good meal, and a chance at a brighter future.
Stretching across nearly 15 acres of land, the community center provides several services for families and children in need, including meals for children before, during, and after school, ensuring their stomachs and spirits are well-nourished. The program participants, comprising 80 regularly enrolled children, experience a nurturing and inclusive environment, and the program continues to touch the lives of more than 320 indirect beneficiaries and family members. At the center, the possibilities for activities are diverse, including sports and leisure, media and technology, arts and culture, and group dynamics. As children engage in these activities, they gain valuable life skills such as emotional intelligence and effective communication. The nurturing environment plays a crucial role in fostering relationships within families, groups, and the community.
Although the center has been making a significant impact in the community for more than ten years, it strains to meet the demand for its services. While it receives funding from various sources, including the municipality and project grants, the available resources fall short of what is necessary. As a result, a long waiting list of children who desperately seek enrollment in the program remains unfulfilled.
The Salvation Army recognized the urgent need for the continuation of these essential activities and took action. Just over ten years ago, they established a thrift store on the same property as the community center, with the help of generous donations and community support. The Salvation Army World Service Office provided a truck, enabling the center to pick up larger items for sale and deliver purchased items to customers, increasing the store's profit margin by 50%. Due to this success, they expanded their impact further by converting an unused Corps building in the center of town into a second thrift store location to generate income for the center.
The funds generated by both thrift store locations directly contribute to supporting the center's operational expenses and enabling more children to be enrolled in the program. With each purchase made at these stores, the lives of the children are transformed. The ripple effect of their efforts reaches beyond the immediate community, empowering children to break free from the cycle of poverty and grasp a brighter future.
"The Salvation Army helped me a lot. When I lost my mother, I needed Sofia to have some activity because this loss affected her greatly. She has become more responsible with household chores. It also helped with food, especially with the fruits and vegetables she brings home. The gas voucher was a great help; I'm still using it; it hasn't run out.”
- Sofia's mother
The journey of the Pelotas Integration Center and The Salvation Army is a testament to the power of compassion and initiative. The Salvation Army has been in Pelotas for over 80 years, initially as an orphanage for boys, and currently as a community center with children and adolescents as the focus. This project affects not only the children but the families and staff as well. It demonstrates the kind of impact that SAWSO seeks to achieve in every country, through every program. By recognizing the potential within the community and taking steps to address the financial challenges, The Salvation Army has created a haven for those in need. Without this initiative, Sofia’s family would be buried in debt and stress and Sofia would not have experienced the personal growth she developed through the center. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of families in Pelotas, Brazil. Your contributions, through purchases and acts of kindness, help The Salvation Army impact millions more in countless ways.
For more than 40 years, The Salvation Army World Service Office has worked diligently to find long-term solutions to poverty around the globe. To support the work of SAWSO, including efforts that help children in poverty, please visit www.salarmy.us/world-service.