
Trip Highlights
- Volunteer to make life better for the underprivileged ones
- Structured all-inclusive program with 24/7 support
- Help in reducing food wastage and improve food security for vulnerable people
- International exposure to a different working culture
- Fun and meaningful experience with other people from all over the world
- Chance to explore Portugal’s popular places as well as hidden gems
- Program Certificate after completion
Overview
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
Program Requirements
Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project and should be active, responsible and ready to act. All volunteers must provide a clean criminal background check report prior to joining the program.
Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities
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
Volunteer Work Schedule
Weekdays: After the initial orientation of the first project day, you will volunteer around 3 to 5 hours per weekday. Volunteers in this program work in different shifts throughout the day. There are morning, afternoon and evening shifts. General volunteer schedule are as follows :
8:00 - 10:00 AM Breakfast at the volunteer accommodation
8:30 AM (1) Travel to the project to join local placement staff and begin work on your project or (2) Explore the city, relax, attend Portuguese language lessons or enroll in other activities if you have an afternoon project.
1:00 - 3:00 PM Pickup lunch at the non-profit - pause for lunch at the accommodation, the non-profit or somewhere in the city !
2:30-3 PM (1) Travel to the project to join local placement staff and begin work on your project or (2) Explore the city, relax, attend Portuguese language lessons or enroll in other activities if you have an afternoon project.
7:00 - 9:00 PM Pickup dinner at the non-profit - pause for lunch at the accommodation, the non-profit or somewhere in the city ! After dinner you will have the remainder of the evening free to relax. Weekends are mostly free to set out for short trips & exploring the amazing landscapes of Portugal.
Living
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
Portuguese food is delicious and during your time in Portugal, you will be sure to receive some incredible treats.The meals are prepared daily by a local non profit that promotes social integration of vulnerable people by assisting them with professional training. Volunteers are provided with three meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
Breakfast is self-serve at the accommodation and generally includes tea, coffee, bread, cheese, ham, spreads, cereal, yogurt and fruit.The non-profit will prepare lunch and dinner for you ! It is a 4 min walk from the hostel, where you can heat it, store it or eat it straight away. Besides, the hostel has a shared kitchen where you can store your food, cook or prepare your meals anytime you need.
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.
Dates
Dates
2023
2024
January
01
15
February
05
19
March
05
19
April
02
16
May
07
21
June
04
18
July
02
16
August
20
September
03
17
October
01
15
November
05
19
December
03
17
January
07
21
February
04
18
March
03
17
April
07
21
May
05
19
June
02
16
July
07
21
August
04
18
September
01
15
October
06
20
November
03
17
December
01
15
Past Date
Available
Unavailable
Filling Fast
Costs
Costs
Please Note: -An application fee of $229 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment. (A 4% international banking fee is charged at the time of 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)
- Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)
What's NOT included?
- Round-Trip Flights to Portugal
- Return Airport Drop
- Visa Fees
- Vaccinations
- Any personal expenses
Reviews
Reviews
Frequently asked questions
FAQ's Application and Program Details
Health and Safety
Flights and Visa
Connect with Past Volunteers
Accommodation and Living
More projects in Portugal
Still have Questions?
We're always here to help.
Get in touch whatever way works best for you.