We regularly take part in campaigns for collecting food and other items, and in fundraising initiatives to support charitable organisations.
Portugal
Pingo Doce held 20 campaigns to sell vouchers that could be redeemed for food and other products, as well as campaigns to raise funds and sell items made by charities to help 15 institutions that support people in different social emergency situations and those working with animals. These institutions include Operação Nariz Vermelho (Operation Red Nose), comprising professional clowns who visit hospitalised children, Portuguese Caritas, the Portuguese Red Cross and Animas – Associação Portuguesa para a Intervenção com Animais de Ajuda Social (Portuguese Association for Intervention with Social Support Animals), an institution that provides service, therapy and assistance dogs. Portuguese Food Bank and CASA – Centro de Apoio ao Sem Abrigo (Support Centre for the Homeless) once again held campaigns in Pingo Doce stores, collecting around 80,000 vouchers (the equivalent to more than 55 tonnes of food) and over 1,000 tonnes of food donated by customers. In all, Pingo Doce’s customers donated an equivalent of 596,000 euros, 7% more than in 2022.
To support the financial sustainability of third sector organisations and to foster social entrepreneurship, Pingo Doce sells products produced by institutions that are dedicated to fighting social exclusion. Since 2011 that we have been supporting CEERDL – Centro de Educação Especial Rainha Dona Leonor, a cooperative that helps over 500 people with a disability or mental illness. In 2023, Pingo Doce bought about 41,000 lily bouquets, which accounts for around 25% of the cooperative’s flower farming annual revenue. This successful partnership has led to an increase in production which, in turn, has helped to improve social services and the integration of people with disabilities in the job market. At the end of the year, CEERDL had 15 employees with disabilities.
Poland
Biedronka carried out several food collection campaigns among customers for people in need. More than 487 tonnes of products were collected, 35% more than in 2022.
Caritas Polska was present at more than 850 Biedronka stores to collect food, and the “Yes, I Help” campaign collected over 115 tonnes of food, which was used to offer Easter meals to families in greater need. At Christmas, a similar campaign was held in 730 stores, with 180 tonnes of food collected from the Company’s customers.
The Federation of Polish Food Banks also organised food drives over Easter and Christmas. In March, under the theme “Easter with Dignity, Not with Hunger”, more than 490 stores collected over 57 tonnes of food from their customers and, in November, during the “Christmas that’s Worth It, Not with Hunger” campaign, over 910 stores collect 118 tonnes of food.
As in the previous year, in 2023 Stowarzyszenie Wiosna (Spring Association) launched the Szlachetna Paczka (Noble Gift) project for vulnerable people. The baskets of food, personal hygiene products, small electronic appliances, clothes and toys, valued at 23,000 euros, were prepared by more than 660 volunteers from Biedronka, in 25 teams from stores, distribution centres and offices, and were donated to 27 families. At Christmas, the association held its usual “Magnetic Attracts Kindness” campaign with the help of 12,000 volunteers. The proceeds from the sale of Private Brand Magnetic chocolates were distributed to more than 17,000 families in situations of economic vulnerability. Support from Biedronka’s customers saw more than 88,000 euros donated to the association.
Biedronka become the main sponsor of the 31st final of Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy – WOŚP (Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity), the largest charity event in Poland, held in January 2023. Through the sale of official merchandising and the collection of donations from customers across the country, more than 1.6 million euros were raised, used to purchase and donate equipment for the diagnosis of sepsis, an infectious disease, to paediatric hospitals.
Hebe provided around 20,000 euros in indirect support, in partnership with make-up and cosmetic products suppliers, that were donated to institutions that support women, teens and orphans.
Colombia
The Ara programme encouraging customers to round up the value of their purchases was implemented in more than 1,200 Ara stores in 2023, resulting in a donation to Aldeas Infantiles SOS Colombia (SOS Children’s Villages Colombia) in the amount of around 441,000 euros (13% less than in 2022).
The amount raised was distributed between the “Acogimiento Familiar” (Foster Family) programme, for families at risk of separation, and the “Fortalecimiento de Familias de Origen” (Strengthen Families of Origin) programme, for children and young people taken away from their families. Aldeas Infantiles SOS also work with families in situations of violence and in emergency situations. The funds raised helped give over 6,800 children and young people access to education programmes, healthcare, food, and housing.