GEA joins with employees to raise €250,000 supporting Ukrainian conflict refugees
pic: GEA
The GEA equipment and systems group has confirmed that with its employees, it has made donations totalling €250,000 to the German Red Cross supporting victims from the war in Ukraine, reports Neill Barston.
As the German-headquartered business revealed, concerns staff based across 42 countries raised half the figure, with the firm matching their fundraising efforts.
To date, reports have shown that a total of well over 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes as a direct result of the conflict with Russia, which invaded the country at the end of February.
The UN has repeated calls for a peaceful resolution to the war, which has entered a secondary phase on the Eastern region of the country, with a number of confectionery manufacturers pausing operations in the country, as well as reducing investment and activity in Russia as a direct result of its actions.
“Until recently, it was impossible to imagine a war of this scale on European soil and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Every day, we are confronted with shocking images and news reports. Our thoughts go out to all those affected by this war,” said GEA CEO Stefan Klebert.
“That is why we launched this fundraiser. My fellow Executive Board members and I are deeply moved to see how generously our employees around the world have given. With this donation, we are supporting the German Red Cross and its volunteers in providing urgently needed humanitarian aid to Ukraine.”
Country organisations on four continents contributed to the fundraising campaign. In addition to Germany, the U.S. and Canada, employees from other areas such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Norway also made donations.
“We would like to express our deep gratitude to GEA and all its employees whose generosity supports the work of the German Red Cross in Ukraine. Your actions are a shining example of solidarity and human empathy,” added Hans Schwarz, President of the DRK Landesverband Nordrhein e.V. (German Red Cross North Rhine Association).
“Both at home in Germany and abroad, the Red Cross is committed to helping people from Ukraine who are in need. With your charitable donation, you are underpinning this important humanitarian work. We sincerely thank GEA and all the employees who gave to this cause.”
The Red Cross provides extensive humanitarian aid to refugees. To that end, the organisation is active throughout Germany receiving, feeding and housing refugees as well as offering counseling and orientation services. In the international arena, the Red Cross works closely with the Ukrainian Red Cross as well as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. GEA’s donation will be used to source urgently needed medications, food, hygiene products and donations in kind, such as blankets, as well as for their distribution locally to people in Ukraine.
Furthermore, the business has taken on a number of other activities in supporting the war-torn Eastern European country through its present crisis.
This includes including GEA Farm Technologies supporting Ukrainian agricultural businesses with hygiene products needed to clean dairy farms on a daily basis. Within neighbouring Poland, the company is also assisting in care for Ukrainian refugees.
In addition, within the Netherlands, the business is working with a partner to donate canned food to the region, as well as wider work within the company sponsoring packaging materials and transportation for donations in kind can be collected by employees at its Berlin site.
