2017

Ninety Social Benefit Organisations Receive LVM Donation

JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) donations to social projects were distributed on 28 February 2017 through a tender procedure. This year, a donation in the amount of 600 000 euros was granted to 90 public benefit organisations, providing assistance to 30 000 people in Latvia, employing 564 persons and involving 995 volunteer helpers. Donations will reach the social benefit organisations with the help of the organisation Ziedot.lv.

"LVM as a socially responsible company has established long-term cooperation with social organisations throughout Latvia. We have developed transparent and open competition based practice, which makes it possible for any social organisation to submit its project and allows selecting the best solutions. Organisation "Ziedot.lv" closely monitors implementation of each project so that the funds donated are spent in a targeted manner to give benefit to the whole society," says Rūta Dimanta, Head of "Ziedot.lv".

Social assistance is among LVM key priorities. Therefore this year the donation was divided into four priority target programmes of social assistance:

• Assistance to socially vulnerable groups: 180 000 euros were allocated for 30 projects, which will support and involve up to 12 985 people. The assistance will cover the following projects: programmes for foster families, support to Graši village for children, agricultural employment for persons with mental disorders, purchase of a special dog transportation trailer for searching of missing people. It will also help implement a variety of creative classes and organise the following support groups: for women who suffer from violence, for tuberculosis patients and their families, for prevention of mobbing among young people, for children who suffer from domestic violence. Funds will also be allocated for purchasing of warehouse shelves, equipment and materials for classes, implementation of a mentor programme for orphanage children, social rehabilitation, camps etc.
• Assistance to children and adults with special needs: 170 000 euros were allocated for 34 projects that will support and involve up to 5 297 people. Projects will focus on social rehabilitation through implementation of a variety of therapeutic and creative classes. It will also support free rental opportunities of technical aids not covered by the state, targeted camps, acquisition of equipment and materials, washing facilities. Assistance will be provided to ensure exchange of experience and to educational events, as well as for staging of a theatrical performance for blind people in cultural centre "Gors".
• Support to integration of specific groups of the society: 168 000 euros were granted to 12 projects that will support and involve up to 11 020 people. Projects include support measures for high social risk families with minor children, people living with HIV, assistant services for families with disabled children, to support volunteers' work in the Children's Hospital, creative, educational and sports activities, support for creation of a mobile computer class to implement a reintegration programme for the homeless, as well as other social integration measures.
• Support to retirement age people to help them lead dignified and active life: 70 000 euros were allocated to 14 projects that will support and involve up to 4 290 people. It foresees support to organise a tour of senior amateur theatre to different regions of Latvia, purchase of a syntezator for a vocal ensemble, assistance to hold a seminar devoted to activation of social skills for more successful adaptation of senior citizens, educational and practical, creative and sports classes, exchange of experience and educational tours in Latvia.

Altogether 162 public benefit organisations submitted their applications for the tender procedure for a total of 1 100 000 thousand euros. "LVM has a great pleasure to support social projects, especially those that will be implemented in remoter regions of Latvia. The increasing number of applications suggests that the decision made five years ago to cooperate with public benefit organisations was the right thing to do. Through these organisations our donations are best targeted and give the greatest benefit," says Tomass Kotovičs, Head of LVM Communication Unit.

At the end of 2016, a project tender was announced for donation projects in 2017. A cooperation memorandum was signed with trusted social field experts: foundations "Ziedot.lv", "Latvian Children's Fund" and the Latvian Samaritan Association, which organise the tender procedure and monitor the use of the donations.

A detailed list of beneficiaries of the donation is available on the website of the foundation "Ziedot.lv": www.ziedot.lv.