Costao benefits the Santinho community with the distribution of 1,500 lettuce heads

Residents of Santinho, in the North of Santa Catarina Island, benefited from lettuce at their homes at the beginning of the last week of June. The initiative has already become routine and originates from the Costao do Santinho Resort, through an internal project that cultivates vegetables organically within the development. In total, 1,300 lettuce heads were distributed for free.

The action is repeated approximately every three months, depending on the natural development of the donated vegetables. According to Gilson Santana Felipe, who participates in the project and coordinated the deliveries, three types of lettuce were harvested and selected this time: curly, smooth, and iceberg.

Grown organically, meaning without the use of chemical fertilizers, the lettuce heads took about 50 days to develop, ready for harvest, ensuring a healthy ingredient in the diet of each benefiting family. The Costao organic garden covers about 1,500 m² and also includes other vegetables such as arugula, kale, and parsley. "We only use natural fertilizer, which we obtain at the Fazendinha 4 Patas, where we have various animals, and we have a team of gardeners working with technical guidance," says Santana.

The lettuce heads were delivered to the doorsteps of older residents, such as elderly people with mobility difficulties. Other residents, like housewife Daniela Santos, went to Costao to pick up the vegetable. "I've lived here for 23 years and we always come to Costao; this partnership with the community is very nice. Gilson informed me there was lettuce and I came to get it. The heads are very nice, and the lettuce leaves are delicious," reports Daniela, who already served it for the family's lunch. Besides residents, employees also received the vegetables.

Integration with the community has been one of Costao do Santinho’s premises since its foundation on December 13, 1991. It is a way for the development to value cultural aspects and preserve local identity, not only offering employment and income opportunities through tourism. "Integration with the community is one of our pillars and occurs in different ways. This is just one of the actions we encourage with our employees to ensure our community benefits," highlights Costao's co-president, Leonardo Freitas.