OKKO project on the collection of used things won in the national contest "Business Changing the Country"

Concern Galnaftogaz (OKKO filling complexes network) has become one of the winners of the IX National Business Contest for Corporate Social Responsibility "Business Changing the Country." The results were released on April 12. The company’s project on the collection of used things at the refueling complexes for the poor was recognized as the best in the nomination "Reduction of inequalities within and between countries". During 4 years of active implementation of this project, more than 250 tons of clothes, footwear and other things were collected for the most vulnerable groups of the population. According to volunteer partner organizations, several thousand people have already benefited from this assistance.

In order to collect aid, OKKO network has installed special containers at the filling stations, where customers can drop off things on occasion, when they come for refueling or drinking coffee. As of the beginning of 2018, such containers are available at 18 filling stations in 6 cities of Ukraine - Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Vinnytsia. Exporting, sorting and distributing things among those who need perform OKKO’s partners from 7 NGOs. The main recipients of such assistance are homeless, orphans, people with disabilities, boarding schools and geriatric institutions, forced migrants and residents of settlements near the line of delimitation in the Donbass. All things are transferred to them for free.

"The collection of used things at gas stations is an example of effective cooperation of responsible business, volunteer organizations and non-indifferent Ukrainians, whose joint efforts help to alleviate the lives of many poor people. We are aware of the relevance of this initiative and continue to engage in dialogue with public activists throughout Ukraine, constantly increasing the number of containers at the filling station, where it is possible to leave things", says Nazar Kupibida, Director of Concern Galnaftogaz. According to him, responsible business should be involved in social processes in the country, while it is capable of acting as a proponent of socially important initiatives and ideas. The efforts of OKKO network in the field of sustainable development have been praised for the second year in a row by the National CSR Corporate Contest Competition, which is organized by the Kyiv CSR Development Center on a regular basis. Last year the company gained a diploma of the winner in the nomination "Gender Equity" for the creation of a corporate children's room for children of workers at the central office of OKKO.