Food Rescue - Lisbon, Portugal

Ratings
Overall
5
Impact: 4
Support: 5
Fun: 5
Value: 5
Safety: 5
Review

I arrived in Portugal with my flight delayed 2 hours past my scheduled pick-up. I was worried my pick-up guy abandoned me, but he was still around.
We drove to the location. My initial glimpses of Lisbon were not too pretty: It looked like we were in the middle of nowhere, some back-country land.
It wasn't until we arrived at the hostel that things started to look better. The hostel itself is well-kept and cute. The people there tend to your dietary restriction if any and make you feel at home.
Day 1 was orientation to the hostel and the program--short and simple. Day 2 was the first volunteer day. The R3Food organization we volunteered at had a very well-structured system; we felt kind of obsolete too be quite honest. The cause is a worthy one though.
The shifts we had alternated between morning and night, around 10 AM - 1 PM and 8 PM - 11 PM. It was mostly packaging food, bringing food in, getting food from stores and doing in-person deliveries. The toughest part would be finding matching lids for the tupperware.
This volunteer program gave ample time to explore Lisbon. I got to visit Belém, Cascais, Alfama, Central Lisbon and Sintra. We did a wine tour and relaxed on the beach, did a city tour on a Tuk-Tuk, and went to Cascais''s Lumina Festival. I recommend downloading MAPS.ME (free offline map navigator app) and walking around Lisbon especially in Alfama and the nearby areas.
I will never forget my experiences here, the people I met and Lisbon itself. Thank you IVHQ and ImpactTeam. Well done.

Would you recommend this program?
Yes, I would
Year Completed
2018
Media
Photos