Instituto Casa do Caminho

What Instituto Casa do Caminho does

Instituto Casa do Caminho (legal name: Instituto de Acolhimento Casa do Caminho, CNPJ 29.937.767/0001-23) is a Brazilian nonprofit charitable association (associação filantrópica) founded in November 2017 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, by social worker Shirley Pereira together with family and friends. The organization provides free accommodation and holistic care to cancer patients and their companions traveling from the interior of Minas Gerais to receive treatment in Belo Horizonte's public healthcare system (SUS), addressing housing, food, and psychosocial support gaps for a population in social vulnerability.

The core service offering is a 40-bed shelter providing six daily balanced meals, 24-hour caregiver coverage, psychological support, social work assistance, integrative medicine (acupuncture, Reiki, massotherapy, homeopathy), therapeutic workshops (embroidery, gardening, crafts, stretching), and weekly ecumenical religious workshops. The organization also operates the "Amor Que Alimenta" sub-brand, launched in 2018, which distributes nutritious snacks weekly to oncology and orthopedics outpatients at Hospital da Baleia (over 76,000 snacks distributed cumulatively, serving approximately 400 people weekly). Operational scale includes roughly 100 beneficiaries sheltered per month, 700 monthly shelter nights, and 3,100 meals served monthly.

The organization is funded entirely by donations — individual and corporate monetary contributions via PIX, credit card, bank transfer, and boleto, plus donations through CEMIG electricity bills and tax-incentive mechanisms (Fundo do Idoso). Its largest funding source is a charity bazaar social enterprise operating three physical locations (Santa Efigênia and Savassi neighborhoods) plus an online channel, selling donated goods (clothing, furniture, books, appliances) at accessible prices. The institute holds CEBAS (Certificado de Entidade Beneficente de Assistência Social) certification and operates independently of political, economic, or religious institutional control.

Name

Instituto Casa do Caminho

Legal name

Instituto de Acolhimento Casa do Caminho

Website

https://institutocasadocaminho.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Instituto Casa do Caminho is a Belo Horizonte-based nonprofit charitable association providing free lodging, meals, and holistic care to cancer patients from rural Minas Gerais undergoing treatment in the public health system, funded entirely by donations and a charity bazaar social enterprise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Services (Patient Hospitality for Cancer Patients)

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Other Residential Care Facilities (62399)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable / Low-Income Assisted Living (Medicaid Waiver Focused) (HLADABAE)

Keywords

• Patient hospitality services
• Cancer patient shelter
• Charity bazaar retail
• Psychological support services
• Social assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Belo Horizonte

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: Financial donations from individuals and corporations through PIX, bank transfer, credit card, and boleto. The institute is entirely funded by donations.
2. Charity Bazaars: Sale of donated items (clothes, shoes, books, furniture, appliances) at affordable prices. This is the main social business and largest source of resources for the institution.
3. Utility Bill Donations (CEMIG): Donations through electricity bill payments, starting from R$10, can be recurring or one-time.
4. Tax Incentive Donations: Donations through fiscal incentive laws such as Fundo do Idoso (Elderly Fund) for income tax purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Instituto Casa do Caminho provides free, holistic hospitality and care to cancer and high-complexity disease patients (children, adults, elderly) and their companions traveling from rural Minas Gerais to Belo Horizonte for treatment in the public health system (SUS). Core deliverables include 40-bed lodging, six daily balanced meals, 24-hour caregivers, psychological support, social work, integrative medicine, therapeutic workshops, and ecumenical religious workshops. Operations are funded by monetary donations, three physical plus one online charity bazaar selling donated items, CEMIG utility-bill donations, and tax-incentive donations via the Fundo do Idoso.

Product overview

Instituto Casa do Caminho is a charitable non-profit organization (associação filantrópica) that operates as a unified service platform offering comprehensive support to cancer patients. The core offering centers on free accommodation and holistic care services including 40 beds, 6 daily meals, 24-hour caregivers, psychological services, social work, integrative medicine, therapeutic workshops, and religious workshops. The institution supplements its operations through the Bazares Beneficentes (Charity Bazaars) social enterprise, and extends its reach through the Amor Que Alimenta community snack distribution program at Hospital da Baleia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amor que Alimenta: A project that distributes nutritious snacks to patients and their companions at Hospital da Baleia every Wednesday, distributing over 76,000 snacks since 2018.

Products and services

• Hospedagem e Acolhimento (Free Shelter and Hospitality) Free accommodation service with 40 beds for cancer patients and their companions from rural areas of Minas Gerais who are receiving treatment in Belo Horizonte through the SUS public healthcare system. Includes lodging, caregiver support, and access to therapeutic, psychological, social, and integrative medicine services on-site at the Santa Efigênia headquarters.
• Projeto Amor Que Alimenta (Snack Distribution Program) Weekly snack distribution program every Wednesday from 1:30 PM for oncology and orthopedics patients and companions at Hospital da Baleia, distributing nutritious snacks such as coffee, juice, cheese bread, and cake. Operated through partnership with Hospital da Baleia and approximately 150 cumulative volunteers.
• Bazares Beneficentes (Charity Bazaars) Charity bazaar social enterprise selling donated items — including clothes, shoes, books, furniture, and appliances — at affordable prices. Operates three physical storefronts in Belo Horizonte (Santa Efigênia and Savassi) and an online bazaar via Instagram, with donation pickup service available. Functions as the institute's main source of self-generated resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 people sheltered monthly
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SESC Mesa BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood donation partnership providing food items for meal preparation at the shelter
• Hospital da BaleiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Amor Que Alimenta project distributing snacks to patients and companions in oncology and orthopedics outpatient clinics
• Galo doido (Atlético Mineiro)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit from Atlético Mineiro mascot and team bringing donations and entertainment for shelter guests
• Cruzeiro Esporte ClubeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaturday Azul program visit with caricature workshop, entertainment and donations for shelter maintenance
• Mulheres de Raça em AçãominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonation of 100 food and hygiene kits received from horse breeding association fundraiser
• Rede GlobominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple TV news features highlighting institute's work and patient stories
• TV AlterosaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision coverage featuring shelter services and impact on cancer patients

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GRAACC: Brazilian nonprofit dedicated to pediatric cancer treatment and family support in São Paulo. Combines hospital-based care with accommodation-adjacent support services, sharing Casa do Caminho's donation-dependent model and strong corporate-partnership fundraising approach.
• Casa Ronald McDonald (Brazil): Operates hospitality houses near Brazilian pediatric cancer hospitals, providing free accommodation, meals, and support to families traveling for treatment. Most direct functional peer to Instituto Casa do Caminho's shelter-and-meals model for oncology patients, with a similar donation-dependent funding model.

Broad incumbents

• A.C. Camargo Cancer Center: One of Brazil's leading oncology hospitals in São Paulo, combining treatment with patient support, social services, and accommodation assistance for out-of-town patients. Comparable in offering holistic cancer patient support but at institutional-hospital scale.
• Hospital de Amor: Largest cancer hospital network in Brazil (formerly Hospital do Câncer de Barretos), offering free treatment plus patient housing and social services. Comparable in mission and beneficiary population, but operates at far greater scale across the full oncology care continuum.

Regional players

• Hospital Pequeno Príncipe: Pediatric hospital in Curitiba offering cancer treatment with family accommodation and support services. Comparable in combining oncology care with lodging/social support for traveling patients, though regionally focused on southern Brazil rather than Minas Gerais.
• Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Belo Horizonte: Major hospital network in Belo Horizonte offering oncology services and patient support infrastructure. Serves an overlapping SUS-dependent cancer patient population in the same geography, though as a full hospital rather than a hospitality-only nonprofit.

Emerging players

• ABRALE: Brazilian Lymphoma and Leukemia Association — patient advocacy and support organization providing education, navigation, and accommodation support to hematology cancer patients nationwide. Comparable in patient-support mission and donor-funded nonprofit model.
• Instituto Oncoguia: Brazilian nonprofit offering cancer patient navigation, education, and rights-advocacy services. Operates in adjacent patient-support space with a similar nonprofit funding model, though focused on information and rights rather than physical hospitality services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPg5lw-rb4eg1eQb6C2K02A
• Facebookfacebook.com/institutocasadocaminho
• Instagraminstagram.com/instcasadocaminho
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-casa-do-caminho

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Instituto Casa do Caminho