On Belém's anniversary, celebrated on January 12, the Ponto de Apoio project announces the resumption of activities with a series of new features for the year 2024, among them, the renovation of bicycles adapted to provide free rides for people with disabilities. disability and elderly people in Parque do Utinga, in the capital of Pará. These actions were made possible by the sponsorship of Albras, an aluminum industry based in Barcarena, Pará. 

Among the confirmed initiatives are the renovation and revitalization of all bicycles, the acquisition of two more, reaching ten adapted bicycles, which will practically double the current service capacity. The sponsorship also made it possible to purchase conventional aluminum guide bikes, used by volunteers to support tours, tents and table games. 

In the project, volunteers both pedal adapted bicycles, leading people with disabilities and the elderly, as well as helping with reception, organizing tours and riding conventional bicycles at the front and back of the group, paving the way and providing support for the participants. Volunteers will receive free kits, with t-shirts and eco-cups. Albras employee, João Rodrigues, is a cyclist and is already willing to be another volunteer. He learned about the project and highlights: “cycling is very important in my life, for my health and seeing that Albras is encouraging these people who don't have mobility is a source of great pride. I decided to get to know the project and I want to help those in need.”

Registration for new volunteers is open and training will take place on January 27th and 28th. Furthermore, the project began to include an environmental agenda, combining accessibility and sustainability. “We always try to support projects that bring benefits to society as a whole, and this is an important accessibility project in one of the most visited places in the capital, Belém, and which needed incentives for expansion and improvements. Who knows, in the future, we will also be able to take it to Barcarena?”, highlights João Batista Menezes, president of Albras. 

Support Point will contribute to the sustainability agenda in Belém 

Ponto de Apoio is promoting a series of actions to raise environmental awareness. “The project is created by people from Belém for the residents and those who visit our city. In addition to the tour for this audience, which promotes inclusion and accessibility, we also want to reinforce the importance of environmental preservation in a space like the one we are in, which is Utinga Park”, explains Daniel Nardin, project coordinator. 

One of the first actions will be the immediate reduction in the production of plastic waste. At each edition, the project provided free plastic cups with mineral water, generating a few kilos of plastic waste. Now volunteers will receive the eco-cups for free and participants will be able to use them free of charge, in partnership with the company Copinho do Bem, which will adopt the deposit model, where the user can leave an amount and use the cup, returning and receiving the money back, or take it home if you want to buy the product, at a price lower than the market value. 

Training on environmental education and more in-depth knowledge of the fauna and flora species of the Conservation Unit where Utinga Park is located will be added to the training of volunteers, in addition to the importance of preserving the environment, especially this area, which It houses the city's main water sources, such as Lake Água Preta and Bolonha, used by Cosanpa to treat and distribute water to residents of the capital of Pará, and will also be provided to volunteers. The initiative will be carried out in conjunction with the Institute for Forestry and Biodiversity Development (Ideflor-Bio). 

Tours scheduled in groups - With the project's greater service capacity, the Support Point will intensify the connection with institutions that serve people with disabilities and the elderly. Prior online individual scheduling and spontaneous service will be maintained, but group scheduling will also be made, through partnerships with groups and institutions, such as the Pará Association of People with Disabilities (APPD) and Mães Guardians, a collective that brings together dozens of mothers of children with disabilities. 

Service:

How to volunteer?

To be a Support Point volunteer, you must participate in the training carried out by the project. The new call has a date: January 27th and 28th, from 8am to 11am, at Parque do Utinga. Just participate in one of the dates. Registration is available at https://forms.gle/E6C3BXvigTTvW5LX7 . More details and information on Instagram @pontodeapoiopa 

How to schedule tours?

To carry out the tours, the Support Point responds spontaneously. Just arrive on the edition days, complete a brief registration and take the tour, which takes around 45 minutes. Another way is to schedule online, with a link available on the project's Instagram profile (@pontodeapoiopa) and at the link https://linktr.ee/ponto_de_apoio , where the participant or family member can choose the date and time of the tour, leaving a bicycle and a volunteer driver waiting.