The Solidarity Fleet Program has been in existence for 17 years and, with this delivery, totals 280 vehicles destined for IPSS (Private Institutions of Social Solidarity), representing a return to civil society of approximately 4.8 million euros, allocated by taxpayers to the Montepio Foundation.
This social responsibility initiative promotes mobility, social inclusion, and combats isolation in communities throughout the country.
The vehicle delivery ceremony took place at the Atmosfera M space in Lisbon and benefited institutions in Viana do Castelo, Bragança, Braga, Vila Real, Porto, Guarda, Viseu, Coimbra, Santarém, Lisbon, and Faro.
In many Portuguese communities, physical distance translates into social isolation, hindering access to healthcare, education, and community life. To address this reality, the Montepio Foundation has been developing the Solidarity Fleet Program for 17 years, an initiative that transforms the trust of the Portuguese people, placed in the program through the allocation of their IRS tax, into mobility for those who need it most.
This commitment has now gained new momentum with the delivery of 12 new vehicles to the same number of Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS). The initiative represents a total social investment of €8 million over 17 years and raises 280 the total number of vehicles that the project has already put into service for the communities, with an accumulated value of approximately €4.8 million allocated by taxpayers and to society.
Virgílio Boavista Lima, president of the Montepio Group and the Montepio Foundation, states: “For many people in Portugal, mobility is not a given. It is the difference between isolation and community, between loneliness and a medical appointment, between being forgotten and being included. Each vehicle from the Solidarity Fleet that we deliver is a promise to break down these barriers. Today, with the support of the Portuguese people, we are bringing this promise to 12 more extraordinary institutions that are on the ground changing lives every day.”
The twelve institutions that now have a new working tool to expand their social services are:
Viseu Equestrian and Psychomotor Association (Viseu)
Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Vila Real de Santo António (Faro)
Association for the Development of Rebordosa (Porto)
Special Education Center of the Municipality of Rio Maior (Santarém)
ARCIL – Association for the Recovery of Maladjusted Citizens of Lousã (Coimbra)
Association for the Social, Cultural and Sports Promotion of Fornos de Algodres (Guarda)
Padre Manuel Joaquim de Sousa Social Center (Braga)
Casa do Povo of Vitorino de Piães (Viana do Castelo)
Cooperative for Education, Rehabilitation, Empowerment and Inclusion of Chaves, CRL (Vila Real)
Social Support Institution of the Parish of Bucelas (Lisbon)
Arieiro Social Solidarity Association (Lisbon)
Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Bragança (Bragança)
The Solidarity Fleet Program is funded by the allocation of Income Tax. The Montepio Foundation reminds taxpayers that any taxpayer can support this and other causes, free of charge, simply by indicating the NIPC 503802808 when filling out their tax return.
The initiative also has the support of Lusitania Seguros and Auto Ribeiro, partners who ensure the first year’s car insurance premium and the technical adaptation of the vehicles, respectively.
+info www.montepio.org/institucional/fundacao-montepio/frota-solidaria/
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