In these difficult times, Rotary Club Estoi Palace (RCEPI) has been helping where it can. At the end of March, a joint Algarve Rotary Club project purchased 3 x 3D printers to manufacture visors. A sewing machine was also purchased to make masks. The equipment was delivered to premises provided by Loule Council and the masks and visors were distributed to various health centers in the Algarve.
Last month RCEPI again joined forces with other local Rotary Clubs and delivered 60000 medical gloves to Faro Hospital. The Club has also delivered some food to the hospital to sustain the nurses who are working very long shifts.
The Food Bank (Banco Alimentar) is under huge pressure as it will not be able to do its usual food collection at the end of May, due to the current restrictions. At the same time they have more families to feed as the crisis deepens.
The Club augmented the Food Bank food parcels for registered families in Moncarapacho. On 13th May. Five members of RCEPI went and purchased food and toiletries, including 24 litres of oil, 30 litres of milk, and many tins of tuna and sardines, pasta, sugar, rice and cereals. In addition, individual soaps and 5 boxes of disposable masks were also bought.
Two members of the Club also brought along 50 textiles washable masks that they had manufactured themselves at home. Other members delivered kilos of lemons and oranges collected from their own garden.
All this will then be added to the other products donated by volunteers from other associations and local producers. The Casa de Povo staff will distribute them along with the normal monthly quantities provided by the Food Bank, in individually numbered bags. Each family has its own bag, filled with food according to the number and age of family members.
In early May, RCEPI bought internet cards to help 6 students at the Estoi Secondary School. The pupils were from “in-need families” who did not have an internet connection in their home, to enable to them use tablets provided by the school to allow the children to stay in touch with their teachers.
The Club is looking at other ways to assist the Food Bank and local community in the coming months.
For further information on RC Estoi Palace International contact moc@rotaryestoipalace.org, or see our website www.rotaryestoipalace.org.
