25.1.2021
The coronavirus pandemic and measures against it affect a lot of sectors, including industry. Moreover, steelmaking has to deal with other problems, namely unfair import of steel from China and other third countries where steel is made without following the environmental and social rules. Nevertheless, the company VÍTKOVICE STEEL decided to again support non‑profit organizations and individuals in the Moravian-Silesian Region through the Endowment Fund.
"In the long term, we support projects focused on helping children, senior citizens, people who are ill or otherwise disadvantaged. Although steelmaking is going through difficult times, we want to continue these activities; they are among our priorities. We believe that specific help for specific projects makes sense at all times," explained Kateřina Nogolová, member of the Management Board of the VÍTKOVICE STEEL Endowment Fund.
Associations and organizations and also individuals who sent in interesting projects focused on activities in the area of education, health, sports or social services could apply for the financial support. Record 131 projects were submitted in September in response to this year’s call. This made judging even more difficult. Finally, the Endowment Fund Management Board selected 11 projects.
“We are pleased that this year the interest in the support from our Endowment Fund was so great, it is very encouraging for us but unfortunately, we cannot satisfy everybody. On behalf of the company management, I would like to thank all of our applicants and wish them success in their hard and admirable work. Congratulations to the winning projects," added Kateřina Nogolová. This year, because of the coronavirus measures, there was no traditional ceremony to announce the supported projects; therefore the company is presenting them at least in this way.
Projects that make sense!
Among the successful entities of this year's VÍTKOVICE STEEL Endowment Fund call is for example KAFIRA - a non-profit organization providing services to children from 7 years of age and adults with visual impairment or combined impairment. It has been helping in this area since 2002. Its main activities include support of self-reliance and independence in everyday life, help with finding a job, activation, counselling and support for parents, foster parents and other caregivers. It will use the money from the Endowment Fund to purchase compensation aids for the visually impaired.
Another project that captured the Management Board is a playground on a Blue Unicorn Farm. An association FOR HELP – AUTISM, which helps children and people with autism, wants to build it in Velká Polom municipality. The support also went to the Ostrava Centre of Foster Care for Health Impaired Children. The financial support will be used to purchase a depth camera for better movement of the impaired children. The Endowment Fund is also going to support a mobile hospice Tree of Life, which provides services to the terminally ill and their families that decide to take care of their family members at home. This year, Agátka is also among the selected ones; the Endowment Fund regularly contributes to her rehabilitation. But the financial assistance will go also to other children who need intensive rehabilitation or special therapy.
The VÍTKOVICE STEEL Endowment Fund will also support six projects submitted by the company employees within the program PEOPLE FROM STEEL HELP. They mostly involve activities and help for children whose lives with handicaps are harder than we can imagine.
We’ve been helping since 2006.
Vítkovice Endowment Fund has been contributing to needy projects in the Moravian-Silesian region since 2006. For example, thanks to the Endowment Fund, the Educational Care Centre in Ostrava-Koblov, which is a part of the Diagnostic Institute for Youth in Ostrava-Kunčičky, purchased a new multifunctional weight-training tower for children. Another supported project is "Perpetuum Mobile” of a non-profit organization Black Horses, which helps the handicapped to deal with struggles in their lives. Vítkovice Endowment Fund contributed to special bicycles that families with handicapped children can borrow for free.
