The "Dr Bezerra de Menezes" Spiritist Society, as a private association having philantropic goals, was founded on May 27, 1929 by a small group of adepts of the Spiritist Doctrine in Jardinópolis, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Then, at the Founding Assembly that took place in a building located at Américo Salles street nº 45A, the members of the group deliberated about the statutes of the future society as well as about the election of its first Board of Directors, electing Jerônymo Rosa e Silva as chairmain and Emiliano Cardoso from Ribeirão Preto ( a neighboring city ) as honorary chairmain.

As founding members appear : Jerônymo Rosa e Silva, Hilário Tavares, Oscar Sampaio, Antônio Silveira Paes, João Marciano Siqueira, Léa Tavares Rosa e Silva and Dinah Tavares.

The Spiritist Temple, siege of the society, located at Américo Salles street nº 45A, and up to now performing the same function, was opened on August 29, 1929.

On January 25, 1930, under the auspices of the Society and having as goal to take in, lodge and take care of orphans from Jardinópolis and region, in a building located on Américo Salles street and that had been donated by the Masonic Lodge Estrella do Rio Pardo, the then named "Asylo Esperança - Dr Bezerra de Menezes" ( the official name of the orphanage ) was inaugurated. According to the minutes from January 20, 1930, page 06, book of minutes 01, the above-mentioned building was then renovated and reshaped to fit its purposes.

The "Dr Bezerra de Menezes" Spiritist Society, on April 12, 1930, joined F.E.B. ( Brazilian Confederation of Spiritist Societies ) located in Rio de Janeiro the capital of Brazil.

In 1940 on the initiative of its directors, the society built up 2 pavilions to take in beggars and homeless people.

So the Asylo Esperança Dr. Bezerra de Menezes that was originally designed to be an orphanage, began also to take in homeless people, and today under the name of Lar Esperança (Home of Hope), it has become exclusively a home for the elderly lodging old people of both sexes.

Operating in the building of Lar Esperança, the Society has enlarged the number of services rendered to the community, offering today a diversified range of social and doctrinary activities : medical and dental offices; pregnant women and new-born children care, family aid, serving a soup every Tuesday and Saturday; youth evangelization, the spiritist youth group "Seara do Bem" (Harvest of Goodness), a permanent charity bazaar, the publishing of the journal "O Consolador" (The Comforter), in order to spread the doctrine, and in the building there are regular meetings to discuss and study aspects of the spiritist doctrine.

The building located at Américo Salles street nº 614 and having the name "Hilário Tavares" is the siege of the Society and was originally designed to be a Spiritist Temple and up to now perform the same function with doctrinary meetings, fluidtherapeutic and mediumistic sittings.

In last years the following works had been carried out : pavilions to take in old people, 5 classrooms for youth evangelization, a great hall for doctrinary and charity events, ladies' room, gents, babershop, laundry, storehouse, dental and medical offices and besides the central building was totally renovated enlarging the rooms designed to old women, the kitchen and the refectory composing so an impressive set of buildings.

The Society, founded almost 70 years ago and 69 years continuosly and regularly keeping the Lar Esperança, has always counted on the aid of the community of Jardinópolis and region to develop its doctrinary and social activities. The Society is affiliate with U.S.E. ( Regional Union of Spiritist Societies in the Ribeirão Preto Region ) and with U.S.E. ( Union of the Spiritist Societies of the State of São Paulo ).
The Society is officially recognized as a philanthropic association by the Children, Family and Welfare Secretariat of the Commune of Jardinópolis and by the National Welfare Counsil, linked to the Social Security Ministry that issued a certificate granting such a status to the Society. The Society is also considered as an association of public utility by the following laws : Decree nº 1985/63 ( by the Federal Government ), Law nº 6128/62 ( by the government of the state of São Paulo ) and Law nº 382/60 ( by the Commune of Jardinópolis ).