Pix is the fastest way to help, and it always makes a difference. But not everyone can donate money every month. And even those who can sometimes want to do more. The good news is that there are many other ways to support a care home.
Before the list, one important agreement. Helping a home like PROHACC is different from helping other kinds of projects. Children and teenagers who have been through hard situations live here. Every kind of help has to respect their routine, their privacy and their safety. With that in mind, here are the ideas.
1. Donate items that are really needed
Item donations help a lot when they arrive at the right time. The secret is to ask first. A home can get 50 packs of pasta in one week and run out of milk.
A few tips:
- Talk to us before you bring anything, through the channels on this site, and ask what is needed.
- Join our campaigns, like the milk campaign and the warm clothes campaign. They exist precisely to focus on what is most urgent.
- Donate clothes and shoes in good condition, clean and ready to wear. A child in care deserves nice clothes, not leftovers.
- Check the expiration dates on food and hygiene products.
2. Offer what you know how to do
Are you an electrician, plumber, painter, hairdresser, dentist, tutor, accountant or photographer? Your work can be worth as much as a money donation.
A care home always needs maintenance. A burnt-out shower, a broken gate, a wall that needs painting. There is also the admin side, with bills, paperwork and financial reports. Professionals who give a few hours a month help the home spend less and care more.
The São Paulo Court of Justice even recognizes this kind of help. In its sponsorship program, there is a "services" option for people who want to support with culture, education, health or job training.
3. Use your network to spread the word
Many people want to help but do not know PROHACC exists. You can change that without spending anything.
- Share our campaigns on your social media and in your messaging groups.
- Tell people about PROHACC at work, at your church, at your kids' school, in your building.
- Organize a collection among friends for a specific campaign, like Easter or the June festival.
Just one thing: share our official posts. Do not post photos of the children at the home or any information about them.
4. Bring your company closer
Companies can help in many ways. Run an internal donation drive. Donate products or services. Sponsor an outing. Offer apprenticeship spots to teenagers who are getting ready for adult life.
Companies taxed under the actual profit regime (lucro real) can also direct part of their income tax to children's funds. We explain this rule in another post on our blog.
If you work at a company with a social responsibility program, introduce PROHACC to the team in charge. One conversation can open many doors.
5. Build a bond responsibly
Many people dream of spending an afternoon playing with the children. We understand the love behind that. But it is important to know what the 2009 Technical Guidelines for Care Services say.
The document explains that occasional visits, from people who come once and never return, can hurt the children. They create shallow ties and make it harder for a child to learn how to build stable bonds. That is why any direct contact must be prepared in advance by the home's team.
If you want to be present in a child's life, the right path is affective sponsorship, which includes screening, training and follow-up by the courts. If you prefer to help without that commitment, the four options above are great choices.
Small actions, every month
No help is too small. A can of milk, an hour of repairs, a share, a referral. All of it, added together, keeps standing a home that has cared for children for more than 20 years, with no government agreement.
Choose the way that suits you and talk to us. We would love to have your support.
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Sources
- CNAS and CONANDA. Technical Guidelines: Care Services for Children and Adolescents, 2009, pp. 51 and 52 (visits and contact with the community): https://www.tjdft.jus.br/informacoes/infancia-e-juventude/informacoes/informacoes/instituicoes-de-acolhimento-1/orientacoes_tecnicas.pdf
- São Paulo Court of Justice. Affective Sponsorship (financial, services and material options): https://tjsp.jus.br/ApadrinhamentoAfetivo
- Child and Adolescent Statute, Law 8.069/1990, art. 260, item I (deduction for companies under the actual profit regime): https://www2.camara.leg.br/legin/fed/lei/1990/lei-8069-13-julho-1990-372211-normaatualizada-pl.html