Our social project began at Christmas 2010, through the initiative of lawyer Rodrigo Freire, who filled his car with toys and asked his friends which community was the most needy they knew in Rio de Janeiro, a friend of the pelada said that “There was an Africa located just forty minutes from Ipanema”, comment that made him decide to go there to see if that description, as surprising as it was sad, was real. Rodrigo took the car, invited two friends to help, and guided by the teacher at the only public school in the vicinity, they arrived in Jardim Gramacho almost at night. At the entrance, the car they were in was approached and they were asked where they were coming from and what they were doing there.

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Everyone said: “From Ipanema! We brought 200 Christmas toys for the kids!” They immediately helped them to organize a queue, and the toys ran out in 15 minutes, such was the number of children that appeared. The crucial moment was when several elderly people, pregnant women and/or with children in arms, asked if we hadn't brought food, clothes or diapers. Rodrigo said that next month they would return with whatever they could, and to the surprise of the residents, the following month, the group returned with three cars and ten people, in addition to diapers, food, toys and clothes. This wave of good was decisive for our chain to grow and strengthen. Since Christmas 2010, more than 100 social actions have been carried out, taking more than 100 tons of food (At Christmas 2018 we managed to break our record, collecting 1,200 basic food baskets) benefiting more than 1000 families, with the collaboration of hundreds of volunteers of all ages, genders, social classes and nationalities to bring lots of joy and hope that better days will come!

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