The Innosocium Foundation, the social platform of the Roscongress
Foundation, has raised roughly RUB 70 million from major businesses to fight
COVID-19 in Russia since the start of the #We’reTogether campaign. The
campaign has received support from such companies as Mars, Coca-Cola, Philip
Morris International in Russia, Gazpromneft, Russian Post, Henkel, Amway, MTS,
and the Cherkizovo Group.
«The
Innosocium Foundation came up with an initiative to support medical
professionals, volunteers, the elderly and people with reduced mobility during
the COVID-19 pandemic. I am glad that a great number of companies responded to
this initiative. This success is owed to the fact that during the past few
years an entire social ecosystem appeared in this country. It unites the state,
business, and various non-profit organizations. This experience of coordinating
efforts is particularly useful today. When we act together, we will be able to
overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic swiftly and efficiently,»
said Anton
Kobyakov, Advisor
to the President of the Russian Federation.
Targeted aid is currently being provided to medical and social
organizations, volunteer headquarters, and needy groups in various regions of
Russia. The provision of personal protective equipment has been one of the top
priorities. Such equipment has been provided to the National Medical Research
Center for Endocrinology of the Russian Ministry of Health, which has been
converted to treat coronavirus patients.
«We are grateful to all our partners for their quick and timely support.
Any involvement and any contribution is extremely important. Today, people
across the country, many of whom are in socially vulnerable situations, need
help. I believe that the example of our partners will inspire others. By rallying
around a common cause, we can make a tangible contribution to stabilizing the
situation», said Elena
Marinina, Deputy CEO of the Roscongress Foundation and
Director for the Socio-Economic Agenda.
Protective overalls have been sent to nursing homes for senior citizens
and people with disabilities, as well as to neuropsychiatric care facilities
and orphanages in the Voronezh Region. Also, a large batch of hand sanitizers
was sent to local social protection departments in the region.
Andrey Okunevsky, the director of the Voronezh Region Centre of
Gerontology, expressed his deep gratitude to the Innosocium Foundation, citing
the fact that personal protective equipment and disinfectants are crucial to
the work of his institution given the difficult situation posed by the
pandemic. Thanks to funding from the state as well as aid from sponsors, the
centre now has sufficient quantities of such equipment to do its job.
Financial
aid for the purchase of essential personal protective equipment has also been
provided to the Children’s Hospice in St. Petersburg, where patients are
isolated due to the pandemic. Seven nursing homes in Moscow and the Moscow
Region will soon receive such equipment as well.
More than
4,200 protective screens have been purchased for volunteers at regional
headquarters working as part of the #We’reTogether campaign.
The
Innosocium Foundation is also working hard to ease the burden on doctors and
volunteers. The staff at nine hospitals in Moscow and the Moscow Region will
receive skin moisturizers (creams, lotions, etc.), which are essential after
spending hours working in protective suits.
Volunteers of the #We’reTogether campaign have received over
1,600 fuel cards for their cars. In April, the Innosocium Foundation expanded the work of the hotline by adding a spiritual
assistance. It served already more than 1,000 calls. Laptops,
phones, and SIM cards have been purchased to support the work of the clergy.
In twelve
Russian regions, from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Novosibirsk and Barnaul,
volunteer staffs have been provided with soft drinks and football-themed
souvenirs such as balls, windbreakers, and towels. Children at orphanages in
the Voronezh Region will also receive similar souvenirs.
A thousand
food packages will be provided to single mothers, mothers of large families,
mothers of children with disabilities, and foster mothers in the Chelyabinsk
and Voronezh Regions.
The
Innosocium Foundation was also involved in helping 79 Russians return to Moscow
from Venezuela after they were stranded due to the suspension of regular
international flights as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They arrived on 10
May on a flight organized by GEROPHARM.
Several
companies have been providing assistance on a regular basis. In particular,
Mars, which has been a strategic partner of the Innosocium Foundation for
several years and previously shipped 32 tonnes of
essential goods to people in need in the Moscow, Voronezh, and Kaluga Regions, is
expanding the geography of its aid. In addition, the company supplied over
16,000 BE-KIND™ bars to medical workers in Moscow, while the Mars company Royal
Canin has launched a social dog walking project together with the Beethoven
chain of pet stores and the #WalkTheDog volunteer movement.
«We believe
that we can only help those who need it most right now through joint efforts:
doctors, the real heroes of the battle against coronavirus, volunteers as well
as the people who simply need our support and care today. We are certainly not
going to rest on our laurels and naturally we are extremely pleased that more
and more people and organizations are joining the #We’reTogether campaign»,
said Elizaveta Aleksandrova, Corporate Affairs Director at Mars Wrigley
in Russia.
«The
#We’reTogether campaign is a wonderful example of partnership and mutual
assistance. Everyone wants to help — both large corporations and small
businesses. These are thousands of partner companies and hundreds of joint
projects with NPOs. It is essential for us that each kopeck is used to help
people», All-Russia People’s Front Executive Committee Deputy Chairman Dmitry
Polikanov said.
The #We’reTogether campaign is being held in all
regions of the country. Its call centre is open round the clock (telephone +7
(800) 200 3411). The call centre has received more than 2.5 million calls to date.
People can offer their help or become a volunteer by
calling the hotline or visiting the мывместе2020.рф website.
The #We’reTogether campaign was launched by the
All-Russia People’s Front with the support of the Roscongress Foundation, the
Association of Volunteer Centres, All-Russian Public Movement of Medical
Volunteers, the Constitution Volunteers, and Rostelecom PJSC.
