The Franciscan Centre Pedro Chaves Barcellos began its activities on July 25, 2005 and it is maintained by the Charitable and Literary Society of São Francisco de Assis. Zona Central - SOCALIFRA. It is located in Alvorada.
The Franciscan Centre acts as a charity, providing social assistance services with the communities of São Pedro, Piratini, Tijuca and others located near the institution. Thus, this work is referenced by CRAS Piratini.
The main aim of the program is to offer the people that receive Social Assistance effective quality care which provides the training of the beneficiary through structured team planning. To enable the pursuit of autonomy and fight in defence of life, opposing the social risks and the reality in which the individuals are inserted.

The volunteers will have to attend the groups in their opposite shifts of school and they will help the educators to minister their classes and their workshops. Each group has a reference educator and a specific work schedule matching the children and teenager’s development step. The educators work from a generator subject matter and a transversal subject matter which are chosen by the participation of the kids and also by the demand of the families and the neighbourhood community.
Beyond their activities with the reference educator,workshops as informatics, crafts, dancing, music, sport, English, graffiti, serigraphy and audio-visual are also offered. Nonetheless, optional workshops are offered (weekly given by specific teachers): dancing, painting as anime and mangá, percussion, table tennis, music, art and decoration.

The projects provide the volunteers with lunch at midday and snacks during the morning and the afternoon, depending on how long the volunteer will be staying at the project.

In social projects in Brazil, most people do not know a second language - such as English - and may not be able to help the volunteers so much at yheir arrival in the project… For this reason, a basic Portuguese knowledge (or Spanish) is required in order to get an ongoing communication: the more Portuguese you know, the easier work activities get and the more opportunities appear for you.

Long Term Volunteers normally will be working about 35 hours weekly, every day from Monday to Friday, with a free morning or afternoon. 

ICYE Brasil is responsible for the costs of volunteer’s transportation from the living placement to the project (buses, local train, or sometimes you can go walking or by bike). You have to be prepared to catch buses alone, but do not worry because the bus system is a quite efficient means of transport.