Missing Young Man Found in Shelter After Online Appeal in São Paulo

A 24-year-old man, who had been missing for over a week, was reunited with his family on Tuesday evening, November 21st. He was identified by staff at a shelter in Mongaguá, on the São Paulo coast, after they saw online posts featuring his photograph. The young man had sought help at the shelter on Sunday, November 19th, during the Festão de Mongaguá event. He was subsequently directed to the Winter Shelter Service by the Specialized Reference Center for Social Assistance (Creas). The shelter team recognized him from internet publications and contacted his relatives. His family, from Guarulhos, São Paulo, traveled to the Baixada Santista region that same evening for the reunion. They had previously filed a missing person report and had been conducting daily searches with the help of friends and social media campaigns. The Municipality of Mongaguá stated that the Winter Shelter Service provides full meals and a safe place to sleep, but the team's work extends to strengthening family and social ties. When a support network is identified in another city, social assistance contacts the family, and if conditions are safe and the individual agrees, the municipality arranges their return. The city's contingency plan for low temperatures began on June 20th, with the shelter officially opening on June 22nd. The service averages fifteen attendees per night and has distributed approximately 382 meals during the operation. Mongaguá authorities advise residents to contact Creas immediately if they encounter homeless individuals or have information about missing persons, providing the phone number (13) 3448-5098 for prompt rescue and humanized reception.