Poland-based logistics company InPost responded quickly to the unfolding catastrophe on its border to offer relief and support to those Ukrainians remaining at home – and to the influx of refugees seeking sanctuary in Poland.
Since the outbreak of the war, Advent portfolio company InPost has supported a raft of humanitarian initiatives for the people of Ukraine.
- InPost partnered with another former portfolio company, Ustron, to provide emergency shelter to 1,000 Ukrainian refugees – including 160 orphan children from the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine. The temporary relief package comprised transportation from the border to comfortable, warm accommodation, and three good meals a day. Refugees could access medical and psychological facilities, and education for their children.
- The company became a partner in the Open Hearts, Open Wardrobes campaign, organized by WoshWosh – a Polish shoe-cleaning and repair company. The initiative aims to collect clothing and footwear for those who need them most in Ukraine. InPost has provided free access codes for the largest parcel lockers that it operates, and financial support for cleaning and disinfecting the donations.
- As a logistics partner, InPost has provided vital support for Caritas Polska’s Parcel for Ukraine campaign. Polish households have been able to donate much-needed basic products – along with a letter of support – for families remaining in war-torn Ukraine. InPost has assisted with the delivery of more than 200,000 parcels to Caritas warehouses and onward to Ukraine.
- Customers can use InPost’s popular Fresh app to order support parcels for Ukrainians in need. Four different packages are available, packed with essentials such as medical dressings, toiletries, disinfectants and milk powder. The parcels, put together by partner company Melissa, are then delivered free of charge to Ukraine.
- InPost is a partner for UA SOS (uasos.org) – an online portal that automatically connects refugees from Ukraine with people and institutions offering shelter. Available via a web browser and in a mobile app, it’s an invaluable means of matching suitable accommodation with those seeking it.
Rafał Brzoska, CEO of InPost, said: “We have been helping since news of the first dramatic events reached us from Ukraine. We are supporting Polish cities in carrying out transport of collected items for our neighbours from Ukraine, and have so far managed to complete several dozen such drives.”lping since news of the first dramatic events reached us from Ukraine. We are supporting Polish cities in carrying out transport of collected items for our neighbours from Ukraine, and have so far managed to complete several dozen such drives.”
With a large cohort of Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian employees, and many more Polish staff with strong family ties in Ukraine, InPost has taken steps to look after the mental wellbeing of its own employees via increased internal communication and the launch of a dedicated multi-language helpline. The company is also coordinating the individual efforts of employees wishing to volunteer, by gathering provisions and transporting them to wherever the need is greatest.
Advent portfolio company TK Elevator has made a significant donation to SOS Children’s Villages, a charity supporting families and children in Ukraine.
The organization has provided help for more than 15,000 people touched by the conflict. Its Ukraine emergency aid project is helping with the evacuation of children and families to safe areas, and providing them with accommodation in shelters, food and hygiene supplies, medical assistance and psychological trauma support.
TK Elevator, headquartered in Germany, has a long-standing partnership with SOS Children’s Villages. Its continuing support will assist the charity with its long-term priorities: reuniting families, meeting their relocation and housing costs, employing extra staff and increasing mental health support.
Mediq Norway – part of Advent portfolio company Mediq – is providing medical supplies for aid workers in Ukraine, and supporting humanitarian organizations in their vital relief efforts.
Working with the aid agency Human Bridge and sister company Mediq Sweden, it has donated equipment and consumables directly to Ukrainian care providers. The company has also been assisting the Norwegian Red Cross, providing supplies for field hospitals in the war-torn country.
Since the outbreak of war, the Norwegian Red Cross has stepped up its efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian population – both those remaining within the country and those displaced by the fighting.
In cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), it has been supporting emergency relief work in Ukraine and its neighboring countries, transporting food and medical equipment in trailer convoys. Meanwhile, it has been engaged in ensuring the safe reception of refugees from the war in Norway and other destination countries.
Advent portfolio company Aareon Group has made a €25,000 donation to Médecins Sans Frontières, supporting its emergency response to the war in Ukraine.
The organization provides medical assistance to those affected by wars, epidemics and other disasters throughout the world. It is in contact with hospitals throughout Ukraine, offering much-needed supplies and training wherever they are most needed.
In places such as Kyiv, Odessa and Lviv, Médecins Sans Frontières has been training medics to prepare for mass casualty incidents and treat war wounds. It has sent experienced emergency and specialist staff to support its existing teams in Ukraine, and is also using telemedicine to provide remote training in areas such as trauma care.
The organization has also ramped up its presence in the countries surrounding Ukraine, including Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Its emergency teams are monitoring medical needs at the Ukrainian-Polish border, and visiting crossing points, transit centers and temporary shelters throughout the region.
Payment technology company Planet – part of the Advent portfolio – has donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), supporting its critical humanitarian mission in Ukraine.
Working with its partners in the wider Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, the ICRC saves and protects the lives of all victims of armed conflict and violence. It has swiftly mobilized to meet the needs of a population shattered by the Ukrainian conflict.
Its medics and engineers are aiming to ensure more than three million people can access clean water, and are working to improve the living conditions of more than 66,000 whose homes have been damaged by the fighting.