Tougher restrictions to help stem increasing infections, the first vaccinations and economic assistance in the billions: Almost one year after the outbreak, the corona pandemic still has the world firmly in its grip. According to figures from the John Hopkins University, 73,560,000 people in 191 countries worldwide have been infected with the virus. Shutting down the economy and public life countless people have lost income or even their jobs. To alleviate the plight of those in need in the regions hardest hit by the crisis, the Freudenberg Group has made a total of 2.25 million euros available since June, supporting more than one hundred aid organizations close to Freudenberg’s facilities in 28 countries.
In times of a pandemic, reduced income and fear, knowing that we can rely on help gives us hope that we can still count on peoples’ solidarity in this world.
Alessandra Bispo from Campinas in Spain
Some three million Freudenberg masks have been donated to organizations around the globe – with a further one million planned. The masks are sent from Kaiserslautern, Germany, to Freudenberg facilities in 15 countries: Alongside Germany, these countries include the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, Spain, Romania, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Turkey and Greece. The recipients are schools, student unions, senior citizens’ homes, voluntary fire departments and many other charitable organizations – particularly in socially disadvantaged regions. “We’re making sure that charitable organizations and their partners can meet the demand for masks, and that, for the first time, as many people as possible have the opportunity to protect themselves and others from the virus with high-quality masks,” says Hanno D. Wentzler, CEO of Freudenberg Chemicals Specialities and responsible for the Corona donation campaign. On behalf of many people in need, Alessandra Bispo from Campinas in Spain, talks about how important the help is: “In times of a pandemic, reduced income and fear, knowing that we can rely on help gives us hope that we can still count on peoples’ solidarity in this world.”
A walk around the globe shows some examples: There are also homeless people in Germany, and the Salvation Army is committed to helping them. Freudenberg supports this commitment by supplying mouth-nose masks. The company donated a total of almost 60,000 masks to the organization for further distribution to those in need throughout Germany.
Millions of people without a permanent job and income, migrant workers on their way back to their home villages and more than 9.79 million COVID-19 cases: After the USA, India has been the worst hit country.
Children and carers of the „Semente Esperança“ social center with Freudenberg-masks in Campinas, Brazil.
Around 1,000 families in need benefit from the donation of Freudenberg in Mysore, India.
Freudenberg has helped to alleviate the suffering with food and mask donations. Employees distributed a total of 36,000 masks to various aid organizations, including to the RLHP (Rural Literacy & Health Programme). Freudenberg masks are also used at the Freudenberg Training Center in Nagapattinam in southern India, where they help protect the young people in training on a daily basis. Thanks to Freudenberg’s donations, Rotary Bangalore Lakeside was once again able to distribute food and medical products. Some 250 aid packages were sent to needy families in the Siddi tribal colony in the Sahyadri forest village of Yellapura, roughly 450 kilometers from Bangalore.
People in Brazil are delighted about food donations from Freudenberg.
Young families also benefit from the donations of Freudenberg worth roughly 174,000 euros.
In Brazil, the virus is also rampant. Many people were already living at subsistence level before the corona crisis, and the pandemic is further exacerbating poverty among the socially disadvantaged.
Freudenberg donated masks to the “emente Esperança” social center in Campanis, Brazil, that will protect children, young people and their carers. As well as protecting young people in need, Freudenberg employees also distributed masks to the Lar dos Velhinhos senior citizens’ facility in Campinas. In addition, the Brazilian aid organization, FEAC, received a donation of high-quality Freudenberg masks which were subsequently distributed to those in need, also in Campinas.
And Freudenberg food donations were also distributed to people in need. As part of a second round of donations, Freudenberg thus supported aid organizations in Brazil with funds and food worth some 174,000 euros.
The COVID 19 crisis has caused great hardship for many people. So, we’ve launched an initiative over and above our commitment to corporate citizenship. Around the world, we’re supporting people in particular need in the hardest-hit regions with food and high-quality Freudenberg masks, and many of our employees are working with more than 100 aid organizations,
Dr. Mohsen Sohi, Freudenberg Group CEO
To date, Argentina has recorded some 175,000 COVID 19 cases and 3,100 deaths. The pandemic hit the South American country less severely than neighboring countries such as Peru or Brazil. Nevertheless, the virus is exacerbating the current economic crisis and taking many people to the brink of poverty. The International Monetary Fund predicts that the economic consequences of the corona pandemic will affect Argentina the most in the region. A steadily increasing number of people here are dependent on food banks. To help them, Freudenberg supports the food bank Fundación Banco de Alimentos, which supplies more than 1,192 aid organizations in and around Buenos Aires. The A.C. Proyecto Plato Lleno facility in Buenos Aires was also supported.
According to current figures, around 408,000 people in South Africa are infected with COVID-19, with 6,000 deaths to date. In this situation, the country, already shaken by hunger and poverty, is more dependent than ever on aid. Freudenberg therefore donated each to two aid organizations, including FoodForward South Africa for the needy in the Gauteng region around Johannesburg. The money will enable the organization to distribute 110,000 meals.
The aid organization Rural Literacy & Health Programme (RLHP) hands out the masks, soap and toothpaste donated by Freudenberg to people in need in Mysore, India.
