We are active agents in supporting institutions that fight the social exclusion of the most vulnerable. We offer food products and monetary support to organisations working with children and young people at risk or encouraging entrepreneurship. We also support campaigns that contribute to social causes.
We regularly support over 1,500 institutions. In 2021, direct support in monetary and food donations amounted to 51.3 million euros, 8% more than in 2020. This increase results from the response to the economic and social difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated.
After being suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pingo Doce reactivated the Bairro Feliz (Happy Neighbourhood) programme in 2021, through which causes identified by local communities receive financial support. In its two editions, Bairro Feliz selected 591 causes, investing more than 500,000 euros. The goal is to strengthen ties with local communities and improve the well-being of our stores’ neighbourhoods.
Recheio and Pingo Doce launched the campaign Unidos pela Restauração (United to Save HoReCa) in 2021, issuing 400,000 Recheio vouchers worth 5 euros each to Pingo Doce customers with the Poupa Mais (Save More) card. These customers could then offer the vouchers to a food and tourist establishment of their choice to be used for purchases at Recheio. Around 270,000 euros were invested in purchases by the deadline for redeeming the vouchers.
In 2021, Biedronka relaunched the Dobra Torba (The Good Bag) initiative, a shopping bag made of 50% recycled paper that costs 0.16 cents, with one-third of sales going to the Federation of Polish Food Banks. More than 43,000 euros were donated to the Federation under this initiative. In its latest edition, the bag also helped raise awareness among Biedronka customers about the proper way to store food and other behaviour to fight food waste, in a joint communication with the campaign Razem Przeciw Marnowaniu (Let’s Prevent Food Waste Together).
Jerónimo Martins Colombia, Caritas Polska and Caritas Colombia joined forces to provide humanitarian aid to populations in provinces in North Santander bordering Venezuela. In 2020 and 2021 together, this aid, consisting of essential food products, reached more than 6,500 Venezuelan and Colombian families in situations of extreme economic vulnerability.
Hebe supported the programme led by the Women in E-Business Foundation, which aims to encourage women entrepreneurs to develop their businesses.
After being suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pingo Doce reactivated the Bairro Feliz (Happy Neighbourhood) programme in 2021, through which causes identified by local communities receive financial support. In its two editions, Bairro Feliz selected 591 causes, investing more than 500,000 euros. The goal is to strengthen ties with local communities and improve the well-being of our stores’ neighbourhoods.
In 2021, Biedronka relaunched the Dobra Torba (The Good Bag) initiative, a shopping bag made of 50% recycled paper that costs 0.16 cents, with one-third of sales going to the Federation of Polish Food Banks. More than 43,000 euros were donated to the Federation under this initiative. In its latest edition, the bag also helped raise awareness among Biedronka customers about the proper way to store food and other behaviour to fight food waste, in a joint communication with the campaign Razem Przeciw Marnowaniu (Let’s Prevent Food Waste Together).
Hebe supported the programme led by the Women in E-Business Foundation, which aims to encourage women entrepreneurs to develop their businesses.
Recheio and Pingo Doce launched the campaign Unidos pela Restauração (United to Save HoReCa) in 2021, issuing 400,000 Recheio vouchers worth 5 euros each to Pingo Doce customers with the Poupa Mais (Save More) card. These customers could then offer the vouchers to a food and tourist establishment of their choice to be used for purchases at Recheio. Around 270,000 euros were invested in purchases by the deadline for redeeming the vouchers.
Jerónimo Martins Colombia, Caritas Polska and Caritas Colombia joined forces to provide humanitarian aid to populations in provinces in North Santander bordering Venezuela. In 2020 and 2021 together, this aid, consisting of essential food products, reached more than 6,500 Venezuelan and Colombian families in situations of extreme economic vulnerability.
Cognizant of the need to develop a collective awareness to fight hunger and malnutrition among more vulnerable populations, the Group participates in campaigns for collecting food and other items, as well as in fundraising initiatives, to support the work carried out by charities.
Information on direct and indirect support provided to surrounding communities in 2021 and the food donation programme in Poland was confirmed by an external and independent entity for the Group’s 2021 Annual Report.