How JYSK helps in Ukraine
Date: 09/03/2022
Author: Daniel Persson, Communication Manager Sverige
Category: Sustainability , People
This is a sum-up of some of the initiatives JYSK is currently doing to assist the victims of war from Ukraine.
The will to assist and help people in need has never been stronger among JYSK employees.
"We have gone through quite some things over the years, natural catastrophes and other miseries, but with this crisis, everyone truly feels the urgency," says Peter Brányik, Country Manager of JYSK in Slovakia.
JYSK's strategy is to aim our actions so that they get as big an effect as possible. And this is being conducted through cooperations with several large non-governmental organisations including SOS Children's Villages Association and The Red Cross.
Engaged colleagues
Most of the help is aimed at Ukraine and the bordering countries, specifically Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary. Countries that, during the last week, have received more than one million refugees from Ukraine.
Although pressure is rising on the countries, JYSK continues to do what the company can support with pillows, mattresses, duvets, blankets, and other products that can be of help.
"Our colleagues are engaged, they do what they can to help. Our employees exceed the expectations of what is possible, if they can find one extra bed that can be of help for someone, they will find it," says Alex Bratu, Country Manager in Romania.
POLAND WAS FIRST
In Poland, JYSK is helping both from the Distribution Centre in Radomsko and through several stores around the country.
Poland started helping on the first day of the war, and so far, most of the help from JYSK has been delivered from here.
"Huge appreciation to all JYSK Poland employees who have been engaged from the beginning to deliver help and product donations, but also individually to make their homes available for Ukrainians running away from their country," says Piotr Padalak, Country Manager in Poland.
JYSK in Hungary is supporting three charity organisations with donations.
"I am, of course, very happy that we do as much as we can. At the same time, I am very concerned about our colleagues in Ukraine. We have been in contact ever since the war started and we have a hotline for whoever arrives in our countries," says Sandor Szimeister, Country Manager in Hungary.
"For people who want to stay here, we will do what we can to take care of and provide jobs for them."
JYSK'S HELP IN the first week of the war
UKRAINE:
- Temporary closure of our stores for the safety of our employees.
- JYSK assisting hospitals in Ukraine with needed material, for example in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kyiv.
- Assisting refugees with duvets, pillows, sleeping bags, and other necessary products, through eight stores that re-opened with volunteer employees a few days after the beginning of the war.
- Payout of two months' salaries, to financially help employees.
- Providing hospitals and other institutions with necessary products.
- Helping to get employees to safety both within Ukraine borders and in neighbouring countries where they are offered jobs and homes.
POLAND:
- JYSK Poland has donated duvets, pillows, and blankets in the city of Katowice, an effort organised by the Store Manager, in cooperation with JYSK Poland's head office.
- JYSK providing goods for local points accepting refugees in the southern and southeastern part of Poland (Przemyśl, Bielsko-Biała, Chełm, Katowice)
- JYSK providing goods for establishing shelters in Warsaw, Przemyśl, Gdańsk, Piotrków Trybunalski.
- JYSK donating material to hospitals in Zawiercie.
- Cooperating with SOS Children's Villages Association, which works to create safe places for Ukrainian children.
- Cooperation with HumanDoc Foundation, which coordinates evacuations of Ukrainian citizens.
- Implementing a certain discount for all institutions and people who shop to help people from Ukraine.
SLOVAKIA:
- Initiating collaborations between NGO's and the Distribution Centre in Radomsko for Ukrainian refugees.
- Offering an extra discount for any project that will help refugees from Ukraine.
HUNGARY:
- Donating to three charity organisations.
- Offering a special discount for companies and individuals that want to aid Ukrainian refugees.
ROMANIA:
- JYSK Romania is collaborating with the NGO Hope and Homes for Children in Romania with products and money. Aiming to help refugees and orphaned children.
- JYSK Romania supplying a refugee centre in Sighetu Marmatiei with bed linen, bed throws, towels, and sheets.
- Donating beds, mattresses, bed linen, and towels for a centre in the city of Iași that will receive 30 orphaned children from Ukraine.
- Donating bed linen for a refugee centre in Bucharest.
- Mattresses and beds for a refugee center in Baia Mare.
DENMARK:
- Cooperation with UN's Refugee Agency, UNHCR, donating 26,000 blankets, 10,000 sheets, 10,000 towels and 15,000 pieces of bed linen.
- Setting up an international fund, which all JYSK employees can donate to, with the focus of further helping JYSK employees in Ukraine.
- JYSK started the fund by donating 1 million DKK, the fund will be available in every country for any JYSK employee to contribute to.
