A MESSAGE FROM FATHER BROWN

Dear Friends,

     Our parish of Our Lady Help of Christians is happy to offer you these programs, which we support to help the poor here in Sao Paulo.
     I came from the United States in 1957 and worked with the poor in Brazil until I was assigned to this Chapel Parish in 1992.  I felt that I could still help the poor from here by “building a bridge” to needy Brazilians in these projects, some of which I started years ago.
     All of us feel we are especially blessed by God when we see the millions in poverty around us.  We must thank God for what we have and give some of our “time, talent or treasure” to Him through the needy.  We have been doing it for some years now and I’m not sure who receives the most…those who receive or those of us who give.  It surely has been a distinguishing characteristic that has marked our parish.  Many ex-parishioners look back on these “out reach” projects as a highlight of their stay in Brazil.    
     We hope you will prayerfully peruse this modest booklet and hopefully you will feel God’s call to participate actively in a project.  No matter what your choice – children, youth or the aged – we thank you in God’s name as he told us, “Whatever you do for one of these, you do for me.”

     God bless you and your family,

     Father Tom Brown, O.M.I.
     and the Parish Council

Lar Irmã Ines is a youth center for children ranging from 7 to 14 years of age.  Under Father Brown’s guidance the Lar has grown from a home for a handful of orphans to a large youth center caring for 256 children.  While the parents are working, the center provides before and after school educational and recreational activities, such as judo, English, computers, physical education, religion, capoera, art and chess.  Breakfast, lunch and a snack are also provided.  There are several regular employees who help raise funds through bazaars, bingo, parties and donations. Some food for the center is donated by a nearby market.
Lar Irmã Ines has recently bought the property across the street and opened a technical/professional school for adults.  Locals are trained in bread and cake making, dressmaking, fabric painting and crochet, telemarketing, computer science, and business and office skills.  Presently there are 500 adults enrolled.  A diploma is awarded upon completion of the courses.

Visit our website: www.movimentorenovador.org.br 

Lar Irmã Ines Needs: 

• Donations of items for their monthly bazaar
• Volunteers to teach English or music classes
• Volunteers to offer courses in beauty, gardening and sports
• Donation of medium sized Easter eggs through an annual drive
• Non-perishable food donations and school supplies
• New or used toys for October Children’s Day Toy Drive and December Christmas Toy Drive

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CONTACTS

Parish contacts:      Tracey McQuarrie - Phone: 5687-2239
Program contact:    Valdemar Soares de Oliveira and Vani de Oliveira - Phone: 4661-2664,9720-8950, 9899-1933

LOCATION
Rua Princesa Isabel, 100
Centro, Embu Guacu, SP
Phone:  4661-1294
Approximately 30 km from Chapel

Creche os Pequeninos is a day care center, which cares for approximately 74 children from the hours of 8 am to 5 pm, while their parents are working.  The children range in ages from 2½ to 7 years.  There are six regular employees and several volunteers.  Children receive meals and snacks while at the day care center. Chapel tries to promote group visits to deliver toys collected by the parish. Visits to the Center are always welcome.

Visit our website: www.movimentorenovador.org.br 

Creche os Pequeninos Needs:

• Donations of new or used children’s clothing, especially warm clothing for winter.
• Donations of new or used carpets and blankets
• Educational toys and school supplies
• Medium sized chocolate eggs are collected and donated for the annual Easter egg drive
• New and used toys are collected and donated in October for Children’s Day Toy Drive and in December for the Christmas Toy Drive

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CONTACTS

Parish contact:Caroline Wei - Phone:  5687-3263
Program contact: Leda Maria Alcantara Ramos - Phone:  4661-3017

LOCATION
Rua Cel. Luiz Tenorio de Brito, 763
Embu Guacu, S.P.
Phone:  4661-2418
Approximately 30 km from Chapel

Casa da Paz is a community center that cares for 160 children, teenagers and their families.  Its principal goal is to provide an education for its participants.  Casa da Paz is dedicated to giving economically deprived children and teenagers access to educational experiences that will help their cognitive, emotional and physical development.

To learn more about this special project visit: www.casadapaz.org.br

Casa da Paz Needs:

• Volunteers to actively participate with children in areas involving theater, music, art, and cooking
• A dentist to attend families
• Sewing and arts and crafts supplies, especially fabric
• Non-perishable food items
• Educational toys, such as alphabet letters, jigsaw puzzles, and musical items
• Sports equipment, such as soccer balls, nets, and jump ropes
• School supplies such as glue, pens and pencils and especially A4 paper

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CONTACTS

Parish contact: Antonio Esteve - Phone: 5687-1944

Program contact: Simone de Lemos (speaks English) - Home Phone: 3743-9297 - Cell Phone: 9616-9089

LOCATION

R. Caminho Celio Jose de Paulo, 142
Jardim Florida II
Embu Guaçu, Sao Paulo
Phone:  4661-3467
Approximately 35 km from Chapel

Father Brown founded this Christian community in 1994.  The Chapel community helped buy the land for their new church and São Jorge is now a parish with Fr. Irlandio presently serving as parish priest.  Twenty cestas basicas a month are distributed amongst the poorest families. 

São Jorge Needs:

• Adopting and visiting of families during Christmas Giving Tree and Winter Clothing Drive
• Financial support of the Cesta Basica program
• Clothing and other items needed for their bazaars
• Food, clothing and toys

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CONTACTS
Parish contact:
Open

Program contact:
Sebastião Francisco Diniz Pedras - Phone: 5526-7340
Phone: 5972-9888 (afternoons)

LOCATION
Rua Genciana, 33
Jardim Sao Jorge, Novo Horizonte, S.P.
Approximately 18 km from Chapel

Programa Educar offers a yearlong training program to thirty 14-17 year old youths living in the dangerous outskirts of São Paulo.  All students must be enrolled in school, and after school hours, they work towards a diploma in Information Technology (“Certificado da Microcamp”) as well as diploma in mechanics (“Certificado do SENAI”).  The young men also study personal formation and development, covering the following topics: self-esteem, citizenship, teamwork, authority, discipline, posture and respect, and safety in the workplace.  After students complete the program, Programa Educar assists them in finding employment.

Programa Educar asks for:

• Visit us and get to know our school.
• Allow our students to visit your business or factory
• Share your business experience with us, eg. Organize a talk for the students.
• Employ our qualified youths.

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CONTACTS
Program Contact: 
Carmen Franco - Phone: 5681-3544, 3742-1363 - Cell: 9976-1117

LOCATION
Associação Empresa e Programa Educar
Av. Guarapiranga, 881 (Dentro da Empresa Lark S.A.)
Capela do Socorro, SP
Phone: 5681-3544
Approximately 2 km from Chapel

São João Batista is OLHC’s “adopted” sister parish, with 250 active parishioners and a very active youth group.  This Christian community is organized and run by the local laity through their Parish Council.  They have opened a new “Centro Social” with a library and a place for classes and workshops.  They have an active ‘pastoral da criança’ offering Sunday school, as well as ‘almoços beneficientes’. Father Brown celebrates Mass on the first and third Sundays of the month at 6:00 p.m.
Throughout the year OLHC helps this parish through the Giving Tree and Winter Drive programs, 30 cestas basicas per month, and assistance for the unemployed

São João Batista Needs:

• Volunteers for the Christmas Giving Tree and Winter Clothing/Food drive
• Adopting and visiting of families during Christmas Giving Tree and Winter Clothing Drive
• Financial support of the Cesta Basica program
• Food for the sick, aged and unemployed
• Diapers, children’s clothing and cleaning supplies
• Clothing and other items to support their monthly bazaar
• Portuguese-speaking volunteers to support the Unemployment program
• Office supplies, books and computers for the Centro Social

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CONTACTS
Parish contact:
Open

Program contacts:
Leonor Faustina Sartoratto - Phone: 5526-2070
Jovenildo - Phone: 5929-5335

LOCATION
Rua Constelacao do Caranguejo, 344
Jardin Campinas, Grajau, SP
Approximately 18 km from Chapel

Vivenda da Criança is a “Boys Town” style home started in 1992 for abandoned street boys run by the Felician Sisters.  Presently there are 14 boys, aged 7-18 years in Sister Ivone’s care.  The objective is to give boys a 24-hour home-like atmosphere where they can go to school, play, work (they have a vegetable garden and animals) and learn a trade.  A full time teacher tutors the boys in English, math, Portuguese, science, geography, and history.

Vivenda da Criança allows for many volunteer opportunities.  The hours are very flexible with the greatest number of boys available in the afternoon.  However, some morning volunteer opportunities are available.  To find out specific class schedules, please call the program contact.

Visit our website: www.vivendadacrianca.com.br

Vivenda da Criança Needs:

• Educational CD-Roms (in Portuguese) especially in science and math
• Volunteers to teach or assist classes in English, carpentry and crafts
• Volunteers to teach typing or keyboarding
• Help with the vegetable garden
• Volunteers to accompany boys to the medical clinic and to chaperone outings
• Boys clothing, underwear, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items
• Non-perishable food items
• Sports equipment (especially football)

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CONTACTS
Open

Program contact:
Irmã Ivone Venditti - Phone: 5920-8492

LOCATION
Rua Henrique Hessel, 497
Parelheiros, S.P.
Approximately 30 km from Chapel

Lar São Francisco is an old age home that was built by Father Brown more than 17 years ago in memory of his mother Beatrice.  It has over 30 permanent residents, elderly people and disabled adults who have nowhere else to go.  They also have an adjacent house for 10 recovering alcoholics.  The home is run by Teresa with help of a few hired assistants, as most of the residents cannot walk on their own.  It is only supported by donations and a few meager pensions of some of the residents.  Our Lady Help of Christians Parish has funded the building of a laundry room, and a small activity room with a terrace where some of the residents can enjoy the sunshine.

Lar São Francisco Needs:

• Donations of non-perishable food, e.g. canned meat or fish, dry beef (carne seca), beans, rice and oil.
• Donations of cleaning supplies
• Hygiene products: toothpaste, soap, disposable razors and adult size disposable diapers
• Volunteers with a medical background (physical therapy, nutrition, geriatrics, etc) to help assess the needs of each resident

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CONTACTS
Parish contacts:
Open
Program contact:
Teresa Girasi - Phone: 4661-1319, 4661-1337

LOCATION
Rua Jose Herculano, 90
Jardim Boa Vista
Embu Guacu, SP 
Approximately 30 km from Chapel

GRAACC is a hospital for young cancer patients from 1 to 21 years of age.  This is a non-governmental organization that attends to 150 children per day, mostly as day patients. Children come from all over Brazil for treatment.  The hospital has 32 beds, with 4 beds for bone marrow transplant patients.

In the past Our Lady Help of Christians Parish has purchased artificial limbs for individual children, monetary donations, and supplies such as sheets, pillows, toys and candy.  Each August, McDonald’s has a fund raising campaign called McDia Feliz, in which parishioners participate.  Proceeds from this event are used to fund projects throughout the hospital.

GRAACC Needs:

• Volunteers to coordinate efforts with the McDia Feliz event
• Fundraising for other areas in the hospital (for example some children are in need of mechanical legs at the cost of R$2.000 each)

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CONTACTS
Parish contact: Caroline Wei - Phone:  5687-3263
Program contact: Patricia Pecoraro - Phone:  5080-8412
(Recreation Coordinator)
Program contact:  Maria Lucia) – Phone:  5080-8409
(donations)

LOCATION
Rua Botucatu, 743 - Phone:  570-5660
Vila Mariana
Approximately 10 km from Chapel

The Lar has as mission  recuperate street and homeless children, providing them with a secure and stable family life by involving all of them in sports, specially running and mountain biking. Presently they have 13 boys (ages 4 to 13) and 7 girls (ages 3 to 14)

• Clothing for boys and girls (ages 3 to 12 and adult )
• Used tennis shoes (sizes 30 to 37 and 40)
• No perishable food items
• Sugar and milk
• Towels
• Sheets

Contacts
Parish Contact:
Kareen Brooke - Phone:  5548-8317
Program contact:
Selma Aparecida da Silva or Luiz Ricardo Cocuzzi

Location
Via Santa Maria –82 - Phone: 5920-3505
Jd. Santa Cruz – Parelheiros
04893-000
www.esportevida.org

Cingapura is the name of the storage containers where the Parish stores all the donations that it receives.  Donations can range from a few items of used clothing to major appliances.  From time to time corporate donations are received as well, such as hundreds of tubes of toothpaste or packs of diapers.

All types of items, such as clothing, household, books and toys are accepted.  These items are distributed to our sister parishes on a monthly basis, many of which are used in their monthly bazaars to raise money for parish projects.  Donated items should be in clean, working condition, but there is no donation too small.  Items, which you no longer use, are “treasures” to those less fortunate.

Cingapura Needs:

• Volunteers to sort through the donations and allocate them to the best recipients.
• Clothing for monthly bazaars
• Household items
• Toys
• Books, school supplies
• Personal hygiene items
• Blankets, comforters
• Household appliances
• Shoes
• Discarded eye glasse

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CONTACTS
Program contact:
Kareen Brooke - Phone:  5541-9183
Ligia Domingues - Phone: 5686-4335

LOCATION
Chapel School

Giving Tree is a parish program that matches each family from our parish with a poor family from one of our sister parishes, São Jorge or São João Batista.  With a list of ages and sizes of each family member, we buy presents of clothes, shoes, household items and food, which we then deliver in person after 9:30 Mass, usually the first Sunday in December.  These gifts make a huge difference for these families, and we at OLHC gain even more in the chance to meet and know the families we are helping.

WINTER DRIVE
Emphasizing the spiritual side of giving, the youth of the parish delivers bibles, blessed religious items and a cesta basica to the same families from the Giving Tree.  This usually takes place the last Sunday in May.

CONTACTS
Parish Contacts:
Open

LOCATION
Chapel School

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The Oblate Fathers started chapel Parish in 1947.  Being an English-speaking mission parish, the diversity among our members is great.  We have members from all over the world including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and many Brazilian families.  We are all drawn together by the common bond of the English language and our desire to grow in our faith. 

Living in Brazil we see many opportunities to help those less fortunate than ourselves.  Chapel Parish has been involved in numerous outreach projects for 12 years.  You will find each of our projects highlighted in this booklet with the name and number of a contact person from our parish and from the specific program.  The parish contact person speaks English and if you are uncomfortable with the language barrier this might be a starting point for you. 

Throughout the church year these programs will be highlighted for you to better understand their mission and their needs.  We encourage you to get involved in any of these worthwhile programs and to contact members of the outreach committee if you have any questions regarding any of the programs.

Chapel
Our Lady Help of Christians Parish
R. Vigario Joao de Pontes, 537
CEP 04748-000  Sao Paulo, Brazil
Caixa Postal 21.134-Sao Paulo, SP-CEP 04602-970
Phone (011) 5541-9183
 Fax:  (011) 5521-7763/5541-9183
e-mail:  pethomas@chapelschool.com