SÃO JOSÉ DAS MATAS OLD PEOPLE'S HOME
Place where the first vaccine against COVID19 was administered, in Portuguese territory, to Mrs. Celeste, 100 years old.
Representing the Government of the Republic were the Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Social Action, Rita Mendes, the Secretary of State for Health, Diogo Serras Lopes, and the Secretary of State coordinator of the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, Duarte Cordeiro.
The history of the Day Care Center - Casa de Idosos confirms that step by step we make our way.
And the first step, a fundamental one, corresponds to the creation of the institution, which dates back to June 22, 1994, as a result of the wills of eight illustrious fellow citizens, faithful to the motto - "Don't get complacent".
The need to ensure the future of the elderly hit the county like a gale.
Attentive to the blow, they moved into action, and definitely into history, with imagination, determination, and belief, the eight founders: Luís da Silva Reis, Quirino Rosa, José Pimenta, Bernardo Simões, José Maria Reizinho, António Lobo, Manuel Esteves Júnior, and João Gonçalves.
Considering the creation of the Institution as part of the dream, the work moved on.
From the dream to the work, which, it is hoped, will have no end, much time has passed, and some steps have been taken, among which, the most significant, are the construction and operation of the Day Care Center on June 1, 1997, the Night Care Center on June 1, 2007 and the New Home for the Elderly on May 1, 2010.
In parallel, and in addition to the current support provided to about seventy users, more than thirty jobs were created.
This proves that as long as there are people in need, works of this kind will never be useless.
The guiding principles that the Day Care Center calls organizational strategy, have as their fundamental pillars the past not to forget, the present to win and the future not to lose.
(Source: Geocaching - LCMatos &MGonçalves)