Overview
If you are keen to volunteer for a social cause and help several hungry people to have a stomach-full meal, then join us and contribute towards the cause of reducing food waste in Porto.
Volunteering abroad is a great opportunity to acquire new skills, meet new people from different cultures, and grow as an individual. Volunteering Solutions aims to provide you with a wide variety of volunteer programs that focus on immersing into the culture of another country and helping the local communities directly.
Being a volunteer for the Food Waste Management Project would be a perfect choice for gap year travelers as well as college student groups, who wish to travel together and combine their efforts in making a difference.
As a part of this program, you will actively contribute to fighting food waste and hunger in a structured system that feeds over 3000 people every day. You will help the local teams collecting, organizing and distributing the food excess from restaurants and cafés to fight food waste in the city. Volunteers will support a center which recovers food, in good conditions, from local restaurants, supermarkets, and cafés and re-distribute it among families, elderly and homeless people in need. These are people who need food support to feed them and their families.
Volunteers can be working across the centers in Porto and their tasks will include collecting the food from local providers, assisting with packaging it, cleaning used containers, assisting with sorting and storage of any food left for the next day, distributing it to the families and clean up at the end of the shift.
To say the least, it’ll be immensely satisfying to volunteer for such a noble cause.
Program Requirements
Volunteers must be 17 years or older at the time of joining the project and should be active, responsible and ready to act. A parental consent form shall be required for Under 18 participants joining the program. All volunteers must provide a clean criminal background check report prior to joining the program.
Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities
As a volunteer for this program, your main roles would include:
- Contribute to fighting food waste and hunger in a structured system that feeds over 3000 people every day
- Collecting, organizing and distributing the food excess from restaurants and cafés to fight food waste in the city of Porto
- Cleaning used containers, assisting with sorting and storage of any food left for the next day, distributing it to the families and clean up at the end of the shift
Volunteer Work Schedule
Weekdays: After the initial orientation of the first project day, you will volunteer around 3 to 5 hours per weekday.
Morning - Free time to explore the city
6 pm to 10 pm - Volunteer at the placement
As the volunteers are in charge of the preparation of their meals, the schedule in Porto is quite free.
Weekends are mostly free to set out for short trips & exploring the gorgeous country!
Living
Airport Transfer
You will be picked up on arrival at Porto airport and transferred to the volunteer accommodation. For those participants who will already in Porto beforehand just let us know and we will arrange your pick up from any location in Porto.
Orientation
On the first day of the program, all participants are given an introductory presentation with the group giving further details of the program along with a walking tour of Porto city center for approximately two hours.
Accommodation
Volunteers in Porto are accommodated at a centrally located hostel.Located right at the city center, the hostel, provides a wide range of rooms, from dormitories to private rooms, a spacious and friendly lounge area where you can hang out, chill, listen to music, enjoy the atmosphere, play some games, and get to know other fellow travellers while enjoying a nice cold beer, a tasty cocktail or a glass of the famous Porto wine! The welcoming staff will always be there to make the guests experience to the fullest! All the guests can count on the best tips about the city, an endless energy and a welcoming smile!!
Situated in the heart of the city, right beside Porto’s most prestigious avenue (Avenida dos Aliados), the hostel has the perfect location. You can find the best restaurants, bars, clubs, shops, the Douro river and the most notorious monuments at a very short walking distance.
Meals
Three meals are provided everyday to the volunteers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner (Local style. Vegetarian, gluten-free and meals for lactose-intolerant are also available upon request)
During your Free Time
The weekends are free for you to get to know Portugal in a better way. We can help you to book the trips that you want to go to any point in the country. Besides that, we have one or two day programs, where you will have unique experiences on your own or in a group.
Some of the tours and experiences that you can enjoy during the freetime include :-
Douro, Port and Moscatel Tour – You will visit these wines Estates, taste them and have a typical lunch with amazing views.
Minho and Vinho Verde Alvarinho Tour – You will visit the beautiful Viana do Castelo, Melgaço, and Monção, taste the Vinho Verde and some of the best Portuguese cuisine
Aveiro and Bairrada Sparkling Wine Tour – Visit the beautiful city of Aveiro and get to know its wonders and traditions. The Lunch is going to be Roasted Suckling Pig accompanied by wine from the region of Mealhada.
Dão and Coimbra Tour - Visit Coimbra, a magic place with the most ancient University of Portugal and full of history. Taste the Dão region wines and the typical food and bakery.
Program Cost
Please Note: -An application fee of £165 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment.
What are you Paying for?
- Airport Pickup and Transfer to accommodation
- Introduction session and Placement Orientation
- Guided Porto City Center Walking Tour
- Accommodation at a dormitory at a centrally located hostel in Porto
- Three meals a day
- Shared use of common spaces and free wifi
- Volunteer placement coordination
- Suggestion of weekly activities with the other volunteers
- In-country staff support 24/7 (and the best local tips to discover the city)
- Pre Departure Info Booklet
- Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)
- 100% Financial Protection
- UK Based Support
- Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)
What's NOT included?
- Round-Trip Flights to Portugal
- Return Airport Drop
- Visa Fees
- Vaccinations
- Any personal expenses
Program Dates
| Months | 2022 | 2023 |
| January | 0216 | 0115 |
| February | 0620 | 0519 |
| March | 0620 | 0519 |
| April | 0317 | 0216 |
| May | 0115 | 0721 |
| June | 0519 | 0418 |
| July | 031731 | 0216 |
| August | 14 | 20 |
| September | 0418 | 0317 |
| October | 0216 | 0115 |
| November | 0620 | 0519 |
| December | 0418 | 0317 |
FAQ's
FAQ's Application and Program Details
Once you complete your application, your individual 'My Account' will be active in which you will receive your placement confirmation after which you can pay the program fees. You can pay the program fees later as well in installments, but 45 days before the program starts.
- Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the program. The minimum age requirement for Food Waste Management program is 17 years. Participants under 18 need to provide signed parental consent prior to joining the program.Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment.The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference. The participant must be in good health.
The volunteering programs in Portugal are located in Lisbon, Porto and in Miranda do Corvo, a quaint town in the district of Coimbra. You can choose to be a part of the Marine Conservation Program in Lisbon, Food Waste Management Program in Porto, Youth Support Program in Porto or Wildlife and Animal Care Project in Miranda do Corvo
Health and Safety
If you already have a valid Travel and Medical insurance, you can email us a copy of the same. It is also advised to bring along the Insurance documents during your trip.
Flights and Visa
Once you arrive at the airport, our in-country coordinator will be there to be in touch with you. You'll be taken to your accommodation where you can rest before kickstarting your amazing journey.
Connect with Past Volunteers
We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions program participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook Group to communicate with other participants.
To read alumni interviews from past participants, visit the Meet a Volunteer page on our website.
Accommodation and Living
Accommodation in Porto:
Volunteers in Porto are accommodated at a centrally located hostel.Located right at the city center, the hostel, provides a wide range of rooms, from dormitories to private rooms, a spacious and friendly lounge area where you can hang out, chill, listen to music, enjoy the atmosphere, play some games, and get to know other fellow travellers while enjoying a nice cold beer, a tasty cocktail or a glass of the famous Porto wine! The welcoming staff will always be there to make the guests experience to the fullest! All the guests can count on the best tips about the city, an endless energy and a welcoming smile!!
Accommodation in Lisbon: Volunteers in Lisbon are accommodated at a sustainable hostel accommodation. Located in one of the oldest Lisbon neighborhood, Restelo, the hostel is just 20 minutes away from the best custard tart in the country ! You can find local shops, traditional restaurants, the stunning Belém area, supermarkets, ATMs and most utilities you will need just around the corner.
In Lisbon, breakfast is generally self-made at the hostel with different supplies provided at the accommodation. Lunch and Dinner are also provided either at the placement or in the form of a packed meal.
Accommodation in Miranda do Corvo : The volunteer apartment has rooms with a private bathroom & TV. There is a kitchenette with a microwave and fridge. It is very central in the town and is within walking distance from the project.
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