Every night in Lisbon, members of the "Comunidade Vida e Paz" organization distribute food and attempt to persuade some 600 homeless people to participate in the organisation's rehabilitation programs.

According to a report that was published in 2011 by an European non-governmental organization that works with the homeless, Portugal is one of the four countries in the European Union (EU) that has seen a rise in the number of homelessness, a result of increased unemployment and cuts in social benefits. — Photos and Text by Reuters