The company's project to collect used items for the underprivileged at gas stations was recognized as the best in the nomination "Reducing inequality within and among countries." Over 4 years of active implementation of this project, more than 250 tons of clothing, footwear, and other items have been collected for the most vulnerable segments of the population. According to partner volunteer organizations, several thousand people have already used the provided assistance.
To collect aid, the OKKO network installed special containers at gas stations, where customers can leave used items when they stop by to refuel or grab a coffee. As of the beginning of 2018, such containers are available at 18 gas stations in 6 cities of Ukraine – Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Vinnytsia. The items are collected, sorted, and distributed among those in need by OKKO's partners from 7 public organizations. The main recipients of such assistance are the homeless, orphans, people with disabilities, residents of orphanages and geriatric facilities, internally displaced persons, and residents of settlements near the contact line in Donbas. All items are provided to them free of charge.
"Collecting used items at gas stations is an example of effective cooperation between responsible business, volunteer organizations, and caring Ukrainians, whose joint efforts help ease the lives of many underprivileged people. We recognize the relevance of this initiative and continue to engage in dialogue with public activists across Ukraine, constantly increasing the number of containers at gas stations where people can leave items," comments Nazar Kupybida, Director of "Concern Galnaftogaz." In his opinion, responsible business should not stand aside from public processes in the state, and can itself act as a driver or promoter of socially important initiatives and ideas.
The efforts of the OKKO network in the field of sustainable development have been highly rated for the second consecutive year by the National Business Case Competition on Corporate Social Responsibility, which is regularly organized by the Kyiv "CSR Development Center." Last year, the company received a winner's diploma in the "Gender Equality" nomination for the project of creating a corporate children's room for employees' children at the OKKO head office.
