It was just after nine o´clock in the morning and people were already arriving at Parque da Paz, in Almada, in ones and twos, to start their Saturday morning by doing a little exercise. At the same time, the six young people comprising the “Every Step Counts” project brigade were challenging fitness buffs, families out for a walk and weekend athletes to take part in the third edition of this fine mission: to deliver a million meals to the Rede de Emergência Alimentar by 18 December.
In exchange, all you need to do is to count the kilometres walked, run or cycled, register the value here on the Every Step Counts platform, and repeat the process whenever you want to help. “Athletes like [the presenter] Pedro Fernandes, who goes on a run and registers the distance, people out walking their dog, and even office workers like me that spend the whole day walking around”, explains Diogo Sousa. Galp's communication manager says that he walks “an average of three kilometres a day at the office” and that every little help counts. For every kilometre travelled, Galp provides a meal for families in regions all over the country visited by the “Every Step Counts” brigades, which also promoted the project in Sines, Braga and Aveiro on the weekend of 19 and 20 November.
For every kilometre travelled, Galp donates a meal to families from all over the country
57-year-old Cristina was one of the hundreds of people approached by the “Every Step Counts” brigades, who, in addition to challenging people to take part in the project, offered apples to anyone wishing to join the initiative. “I'm already semi-retired and I often do this. I always walk five kilometres, and it takes me around an hour”, she tells Energiser. In addition to the benefits of physical activity on her health, Cristina says that this type of exercise “is good for the mind”, which is why she is so keen on it, particularly due to the fact she stopped doing water aerobics when the pandemic broke out. “During the week I walk with a group of colleagues on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We always do the round trip between Almada and Cacilhas”, she adds.
Indeed, it was during the pandemic that the “Every Step Counts” initiative emerged, initially aimed exclusively at Galp employees “to promote physical exercise due to the fact we were all self-isolating or just coming out of lockdown”, recalls Diogo Sousa. However, the reality far exceeded expectations. “We set a target of 2,000 kilometres and 2,000 meals, which we met in two days”, he points out. The target was then raised to 10,000 kilometres, which was achieved in just a week. “We realised we were on to something that could make a difference and we began thinking about how we could implement this initiative in a more ambitious manner”, he says, which gave rise to the first edition of “Every Step Counts”.
The “Every Step Counts” project took to the streets to promote sporting activity and to make a difference among families supported by the Food Emergency Network
Maria do Céu and Carlos Gigante, 64 and 63 years of age respectively, hadn´t heard of the project, but guarantee they will participate through the frequent walks they go on together. “We usually come on weekday mornings. We always walk together, around the park for half an hour”, points out Maria do Céu, who is already retired and, like Cristina, also stopped exercising during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I was afraid and started going for walks”, she reveals.
The initiative is not limited to millions of common Portuguese people from all over the country. Famous names such as the Portuguese international footballer Diogo Jota and the presenter Pedro Fernandes decided to join the project geared to feeding Portugal. The partners involved in the third edition of “Every Step Counts” include the Portuguese Football Federation, Rádio Comercial and TVI, all of which have undertaken to support the Food Emergency Network.
The Galp platform had registered over 317,000 kilometres and the same number of meals donated by 20 November. The total distance was made up of walking (172,265), followed by cycling (79,957) and running (65,392). The municipalities of Lisbon (95,761), Setubal (38,497) and Braga (18,993) are leading the way in the initiative with almost 160,000 kilometres registered.
Diogo Sousa highlights the way in which Galp and their employees are having a positive impact on communities
The initiative was initially focused on the promotion of physical exercise, however in light of the challenging scenario facing both Portugal and Europe in general, including geopolitical conflicts and the rising cost of living, helping those most in need is now more important than ever before. “Inflation stands at 10% and families need assistance; this work is continuous and we will keep on providing this assistance”, guarantees Diogo Sousa, underlining the fact that this project is not unique to Galp. “Every employee is entitled to 48 hours of volunteer work per year, which is equivalent to almost a week. We have been involved in 20 initiatives since the beginning of the year”, he adds. Ranging from beach and forest clean-up activities to lectures for underprivileged schoolchildren, many activities are promoted in our own back yard. “We have 100 volunteers a month helping out at Banco Alimentar warehouses. This is how we continue to make an ongoing contribution with a positive impact on the communities in which we are located”, concludes Diogo Sousa.