The Group remains committed to supporting institutions that fight social exclusion. This is carried out through the direct donation of food products, monetary support to organisations carrying out pedagogic work with children and young people at risk (in an attempt to curb school dropout and social exclusion) and/or encourage entrepreneurship, and by developing campaigns that encourage society to contribute to social causes.
As a Group, we regularly support more than a thousand institutions. In 2020, direct support in the form of monetary and food donations amounted to more than 47 million euros, an increase of 10% compared to 2019.
On a corporate level, we regularly support 21 institutions and projects focusing on education, culture, human rights, the environment and health.
In Portugal, Pingo Doce, Recheio and Jerónimo Martins Agro-Alimentar receive requests for support and seek to respond to the appeal for help from social institutions that operate in the respective stores’ surrounding areas by making in-kind and monetary donations, including sponsoring of environmental conservation projects.
In Poland, Biedronka channels its support to social projects and campaigns, and in 2020 its food donation programme was extended to over 1,941 stores. In 2020, Hebe increased its support to the surrounding communities, supporting doctors and nurses from 30 hospitals and healthcare centres.
In Colombia, Ara has gradually increased its commitment to supporting low-income Colombian families.
The Group donates food surplus that meets food safety standards, but which cannot be sold, to institutions that take it to people living in extremely vulnerable conditions. In 2020, more than 18,600 tonnes of food were donated.
The Jerónimo Martins Group channelled 500 thousand euros to further research into vaccines and equipment, allocated one million euros towards putting together the National COVID-19 Serology Panel, and invested 370 thousand euros in the completion of the second intensive care unit of the Espírito Santo de Évora Hospital.
Established in March 2020, to mark Biedronka’s 25th Anniversary, the Biedronka Foundation aims at helping the older population live a dignified and health life for as long as possible in a country where one out of four people are older than 60 years of age. The “Na Codzienne Zakupy” (For Everyday Shopping) programme, a financial support initiative that Biedronka started for senior citizens, helped 10,000 people in 2020 alone.
In 2019, Pingo Doce launched the Bairro Feliz (Happy Neighbourhood) programme, through which it provides monetary support to causes identified by the local population, thereby aiming to strengthen the ties with local communities and contribute to the well-being of the neighbourhoods in the vicinity of the stores. In the two first editions, 157 local causes were supported, involving an investment of more than 150 thousand euros.
Jerónimo Martins Colombia, Caritas Polska and Caritas Colombia joined forces to provide humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations in provinces in North Santander bordering Venezuela. Support was provided in the form of the donation of essential goods to 1,185 Venezuelan migrant families and Colombian families in extreme economic vulnerability.
The Group donates food surplus that meets food safety standards, but which cannot be sold, to institutions that take it to people living in extremely vulnerable conditions. In 2020, more than 18,600 tonnes of food were donated.
Established in March 2020, to mark Biedronka’s 25th Anniversary, the Biedronka Foundation aims at helping the older population live a dignified and health life for as long as possible in a country where one out of four people are older than 60 years of age. The “Na Codzienne Zakupy” (For Everyday Shopping) programme, a financial support initiative that Biedronka started for senior citizens, helped 10,000 people in 2020 alone.
Jerónimo Martins Colombia, Caritas Polska and Caritas Colombia joined forces to provide humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations in provinces in North Santander bordering Venezuela. Support was provided in the form of the donation of essential goods to 1,185 Venezuelan migrant families and Colombian families in extreme economic vulnerability.
The Jerónimo Martins Group channelled 500 thousand euros to further research into vaccines and equipment, allocated one million euros towards putting together the National COVID-19 Serology Panel, and invested 370 thousand euros in the completion of the second intensive care unit of the Espírito Santo de Évora Hospital.
In 2019, Pingo Doce launched the Bairro Feliz (Happy Neighbourhood) programme, through which it provides monetary support to causes identified by the local population, thereby aiming to strengthen the ties with local communities and contribute to the well-being of the neighbourhoods in the vicinity of the stores. In the two first editions, 157 local causes were supported, involving an investment of more than 150 thousand euros.
Aware of the need to develop a collective conscious for the fight against hunger and malnutrition among the most deprived people, the Group is strongly involved 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 given to surrounding communities in 2020 and the food donation programme in Poland was confirmed by an external and independent entity for the Group’s 2020 Annual Report.