Project Solidarity Companies is celebrating its 14th anniversary with another record-breaking year for attendance and fundraising. This edition involved 122 participating companies and four organizations focused on helping people at risk of exclusion in the Alicante province, up from 116 organizations the previous year.
The standout aspect of this edition is the sustained growth in both financial and in-kind donations from participants. In 2023, the initiative reached a total of 167,000 euros, enabling the distribution of 1,800 Christmas hampers to 62 social organizations. These organizations operate across various cities to reach families in need. The higher overall cost this year is attributed not only to general price increases but also to a broader range of products included in the donations.
Solidarity Companies held its annual meeting this morning, bringing together donor companies and recipient organizations. The event drew close to a hundred attendees and took place at IMED Hospital Elche, where the year’s results were presented and discussed.
Editorial Prensa Alicantina cooperates with Solidarity Companies to help people who need it most
Juan Manuel Candela Moreno, director of IMED Elche, welcomed the participants. The results of the project were then announced. Maite Rubio Gomez, SEUR Corporate Affairs, CSR and Logistics Business Development Director, recalled that Empresas Solidarias began in 2012 with nine donor companies and raised 21,000 euros, a stark contrast to the 122 participating entities and 167,000 euros achieved this year.
Besides the 1,800 Christmas hampers already distributed, the remaining funds from this year’s campaign will be allocated in the summer of 2024 to support various organizations. This summer outreach forms part of the ongoing commitment to sustainable aid throughout the year.
The event also featured a session titled “Status and Trends in Sustainability,” led by Amelia Navarro Arcas, president of the Club of Responsible and Sustainable Companies of the Valencian Community and director of Sustainable Development, Equality and Social Action for Hidraqua and Aguas de Alicante. Closing remarks were delivered by Gorka Chazarra, president of Polo Club CSR, and board member of the Conciénciate Foundation and the Solidarity Companies working group, who brought the emotional gathering to a close.
In the coming days, the 1,800 hampers distributed at Christmas will be complemented by ongoing aid, with some donor-company volunteers participating in the distribution process. The initiative now includes 62 organizations across districts including Alicante, Elche, Ibi, Pedreguer, Orihuela, Guardamar and Santa Pola, marking the first time these areas are included in the effort.
Solidarity Companies is a collaborative project formed by multiple companies in the state that came together in 2010 to contribute to the welfare of vulnerable families during the Christmas season. Participation has grown across editions, and last year more than a hundred institutions and organizations contributed financially or in kind. The project is powered by volunteers who coordinate donations, organize events, manage logistics, and handle communications, all toward one shared goal: assisting those most in need.