Nestlé Hellas is a member of the Greek society which it consistently supports through the development of actions and initiatives aimed at offering to society as a whole and meeting important needs. In 2020, the country was faced with the unprecedented challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic. With a sense of responsibility, Nestlé Hellas responded to the emergency needs that arose, showing in practice its support for the national effort. Our company, through a series of actions developed in different fields, declared itself present from the first moment in the unprecedented health crisis.
We are next to the country's hospitals
With a more important focus on the defense of public health, Nestlé Hellas focused its initiatives on the fortification of the National Health System by strengthening the country's hospitals and the enormous effort of the medical and nursing staff. Our company proceeded to donate six pediatric intensive care units to the only public Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Center of the "Agia Sophia" Children's Hospital. With the donation of Nestlé Hellas, the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit was strengthened with six beds, six neonatal-pediatric ventilators, three incubators, drug delivery pumps, pump support systems, a central monitoring system and portable oximeters. Thus, three new ICU beds were developed and the other three beds of the Unit were completely upgraded, offering a big "breather" to the country's health system in terms of children's medical care. After all, the care and development of children has been at the core of Nestlé since its foundation.
In addition, during the first lockdown, our company, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health for the needs that existed in the reference hospitals of the country, proceeded to donate medical technological equipment to the AHEPA University General Hospital in Thessaloniki. The donation covered emergency additional hospital equipment and more specifically intensive care stretchers, cardiographs, capnographs, short stay and patient monitoring monitors, intensive care patient transfer monitors, examination beds for the clinics, computers, ultrasound equipment as well as air purifiers airborne particulate matter.
Supporting the communities in which it operates is a key priority of Nestlé Hellas and with this as a guide, our company strengthened the Health Centers of Katuna & Vonitsa as well as the General Hospital of Thebes.
We stand by vulnerable groups and people on the front line
In addition to the doctors and hospital staff of our country, there were many more who needed extra support. They are our fellow human beings who belong to vulnerable groups of the population but also those who were on the front line.
Nestlé Hellas supported the work of the Reception and Solidarity Center of the Municipality of Athens and the "Help at Home" program by offering food and beverages for the thousands of our fellow citizens who are supported through it, as well as the Food Bank of Thessaloniki. In addition, the company provided products to EKAB staff who were on the front line from the first day of the health crisis.
We are next to the stray animals
Nestlé Greece also responded to the needs of stray animals by providing 60,000 meals from PURINA through the animalssolidarity.gov.gr platform and by meeting the needs of animal welfare organizations and shelters for the protection of stray animals
#AlwaysOpenForYou initiative
With a central message of #AlwaysOpenForyou, we designed an initiative to support catering and hospitality businesses that have been significantly affected by the effects of the pandemic. Nestlé stood by them to help them face the challenges of this crisis with solutions tailored to their needs. The #AlwaysOpenForYou initiative included a number of actions to support industry professionals. More specifically, Nestlé made a range of products available free of charge in more than 5,000 small catering points nationwide, which included Buondi Craft coffee, Nescafé Classic, Lumidis Papagalos as well as S. Pellegrino, Perrier and Acqua Panna bottled waters. In addition, the company intensified the training of baristas and cafe owners - 1,200 professionals in total - to enhance their knowledge of their subject.
We have stayed close to the professionals since the beginning of this crisis both at the level of education and information, as well as at the level of technical support with service services and preventive maintenance of mechanical equipment.