A CASA: Support Center for the Homeless is the charity that we most recently joined to our project Livingtourianos with Cause 1 X 1, where we donate a meal for each tourist who participates in our tours to the needy and homeless.

Casa founded just two years before Living Tours, it has in its Mission and Vision a purpose in which we fully review ourselves and it is with great pleasure and pride that we include it in our Social Transformation project.

 “In a troubled world, full of violence and social inequality, it is up to each one of us to wake up to the reality that is permanently unfolding before our eyes: poverty and suffering. This reality led to the emergence of the Homeless Support Center (CASA), the result of the initiative and inspiration of Honorary President Pema Wangyal Rinpoche, founded on July 19, 2002”

"Vision

A World in which all beings can be free from suffering and its causes, helping with basic human needs such as food and clothing.

Mission

Assist those who are homeless, who are Families at Risk or Families in Need, through social solidarity actions, providing close contact, food, clothing and social reintegration services, regardless of social strata, ethnicity, religion or gender.”

From the first contact with the coordinator of CASA do Porto, Ana Salão, we realized all the dynamism and real intention to carry out this project of social transformation.

It was also interesting to realize that we were no longer unknown to the institution, when approaching for the 1st time!

Living Tours, yes, I know it perfectly and we appreciate the donation of clothes that some tourists left at your reception agency in Porto, in front of the São Bento station, and that you have donated to us and we have already donated them to those who need them most!

Wow, Living Tours is this, what a pleasant surprise, to realize that some tourists had left some boxes of clothes at our agency in Porto that they couldn't transport because they were overweight and left them for us to maybe donate, but that's exactly what we did, it´s in our DNA in the DNA of every Livingtourian who doesn't waste time helping anyone and in any circumstance, fantastic! Many congratulations to this team of good humanitarians!

 “CASA's areas and base of action in Portugal are:

• Primary support for the homeless population
• Support for Families at Risk
• Support for Families in Need

CASA activities in Portugal:

• Distribution of hot meals to the homeless population;

• Distribution of Food Baskets to Families at Risk or in Need;

• Distribution of clothing, blankets and sleeping bags;

• Supply of hygiene products and referral to primary health support;

• Psychological assistance;

• Support for social reintegration.

CASA works, for the most part, through voluntary work, including the Social Bodies, with more than 1400 volunteers, distributed across 10 Delegations in mainland Portugal and Madeira, supporting more than 4000 users of families at risk and +1100 people without shelter.

In total, in 2019, there were more than 417,000 meals and 35,000 baskets for families at risk, all with the support of our volunteers and patrons who support us daily. Thank you to all of them!”

We also develop, in conjunction with CASA, volunteer actions with the Livingtouriana team, where we can help prepare meals and prepare meal kits, which we later deliver by hand to the homeless and needy on the streets of Porto.
In this action, we accompanied the CASA team with a LivingTours vehicle, where we also had the opportunity to deliver clothes and blankets to the homeless.
Thus, we gave our best on the ground to help others and those who need it most!
We are full of hearts!