Part of a nationwide campaign, the lunch took place on December 4 at Monte de Vale d’Éguas.

In partnership with the GNR, the Pingo Doce supermarket chain is organising five Christmas lunches for elderly people during the first and second weeks of December.

These events are part of a protocol signed between the GNR and the Pingo Doce in 2022, which aims to strengthen relations and develop local activities and initiatives to combat isolation, loneliness, and food shortages that often affect this age group.

For these Christmas events, the GNR selected the country’s most problematic districts regarding loneliness among the elderly. They are: Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda and Faro.

This December, the Christmas lunches will bring comfort, joy, and a sense of community to the elderly who live in extreme loneliness.

Each lunch will gather 100 elderly people accompanied by military personnel from each territorial command, institution employees, and representatives of Pingo Doce’s operational teams.

The lunch hosted in Faro, which took place at Monte de Vale D’Éguas on December 4, featured performances by the GNR Symphonic Band’s brass quintet, the Alte Parish Centre for Entertainment and Community Support and Fado singer César Matoso. These unique performances brought participants genuine moments of celebration and Christmas cheer.

Through this protocol, GNR and Pingo Doce seek to support homes and institutions that care for the elderly and promote security and well-being among the most vulnerable.

This joint campaign reinforces both entities’ commitment to ensuring that elderly people have access to essential products, improving their quality of life and dignity.