A group of volunteers from the Colegio Espirito Santo formed themselves into the Maos em Acao (Hands in Action) to attend to the hungry in Canoas, in Porto Alegre, Rio de Grande, Brazil in cooperation with the SSpS. They serve meals and donate clothes and other necessities to the poor.
In the Brazilian city of Canoas, a remarkable project unfolds—a symphony of compassion and purpose.
Mãos em Ação (Hands in Action) is a solidarity project that embodies a mission to teach the art of giving, to share abundantly, and to defy consumerism, keeping the needs of the less fortunate at the forefront. It’s an endeavor that intertwines compassion, education, and selflessness—a beacon of hope in a world often consumed by material desires.
Hunger and the throwaway culture affect the marginalized in a special way, resulting in precarious lifestyles. To face this issue, a group of volunteers from the Colégio Espírito Santo (CES) organizes acts of solidarity to help the disadvantaged in Canoas, a city in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande, Brazil South.
Faced with so many silent cries for help, echoed in socially vulnerable and in central parts of Canoas, a solidarity project aimed at reducing hunger was created, thanks to the school community’s willingness to support the work of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS).
The CES Mãos em Ação, led by Sérgio Velasques Garcia, an employee of the SSpS-run school, is a truly remarkable group. Its collective efforts create a beautiful rhythm—a dance that intertwines learning and kindness.
Unsung Heroes
Within the educational sphere of the SSpS, students absorb knowledge, while lay people take the lead in various activities. These unsung heroes include school bus drivers, whose empathy is etched in their hearts. They offer their buses to transport meals across the city.
Some members actively promote food collection drives, while others contribute by meticulously organizing and preparing nourishing meals. These efforts extend beyond mere survival; they reach those who hunger for more—a hunger for compassion, care, and sustenance.
Together, the members of CES Mãos em Ação embody the spirit of selflessness and compassion. Their actions resonate far beyond the material provisions they deliver—touching lives, creating connections, and weaving a tapestry of hope and humanity.
On the average, the group distributes 150 “action” meals, in addition to occasionally supplying clothes, shoes, blankets, personal hygiene items, medicine, and food for animals.
Moreover, students participate and voice their ideas to the project.
Projects
CES has many projects that involve the entire school community in solidarity campaigns, but the opportunity to do some good to other people was expanded by the creation of this group.
As part of their social responsibility activities, the students donate essential items for those in need. Their contributions include food, warm clothing, and other goods, which make a significant impact on the lives of recipients.
During special occasions like Easter, Christmas, and World Children’s Day, the students actively participate in collecting donations of sweets and toys. These gifts are then distributed by dedicated volunteers, who create heart-warming moments filled with games, snacks, and joy.
The volunteers also offer affection to homeless people because they are conscious of the value and dignity that we all have as human beings, and they know that an important part of the mission is also to bring love, a contribution that can somewhat alleviate suffering, thus fostering human fraternity.
Many members of the group say they feel a profound gratitude for the work that they do. They try to raise awareness about the importance of this noble and urgent cause, generating perhaps future agents of transformation and sowers of hope.
Gratitude
Daniele Silva dos Santos, one of the beneficiaries, expresses her heartfelt gratitude for all the support she receives from the group. She says that the help supplements her income by working in recycling to provide for her children.
The Trinitarian Spirituality of the SSpS focuses on the relationship between Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and contains a model of community and society that we are called to build through dialogue, sharing, and communion.
Looking at the nature of the Most Holy Trinity, we are encouraged to commit ourselves with all our strength, so that all human beings in the world may live with dignity and see their rights respected, according to God’s will, and to promote life with the transformative power of love, especially where it is most threatened.
Sr. Patrícia Zeponi, SSpS – Province of Brazil
Sérgio Velasques Garcia, standing, speaks at the founding meeting of the CES Mãos em Ação group.
Sérgio Velasques Garcia with the students.
Students from Colégio Espírito Santo collect food donations for the CES Mãos em Ação group.
Collection of donations.
Volunteers deliver packages of sweets as a special “action” for Easter at the Centro Educativo Madre Josefa, which assists children from economically vulnerable communities.
Volunteers deliver packages of sweets as a special “action” for Easter at the Centro Educativo Madre Josefa, which assists children from economically vulnerable communities.
Volunteers, including the Sisters, serve meals, and prepare sandwiches.
Volunteers, including the Sisters, prepare sandwiches, and serve meals.
Volunteers organize the table for distributing meals and snacks for homeless people in front of the Canoas Emergency Hospital.
Volunteers distribute food to the homeless in the streets.
Volunteers distribute food to the homeless in the streets.
