„We are living through a time when we must all take decisive action to help those who have lived through the horrors of war. We cannot delay our help. We are contributing with our resources and overwhelming support to alleviate the suffering of Ukrainians. At the same time, we hope that a huge wave of support from Lithuanian businesses will sweep across the country,“ said Arūnas Martinkevičius, president of SBA Group.
The donor organisations, including the Lithuanian Red Cross, Lithuanian Caritas, Maltesers, Maisto Bankas and Gelbėkit Vaikus, united in the Mūsų Širdys ir Rankos Ukrainai initiative, are starting to provide humanitarian aid with the donated funds, which includes accommodation assistance as well as first providing psychosocial and medical assistance.
„We are grateful to businesses for their help, which is critical at this time. There are many injured people in need of urgent medical attention, children in great pain and fear, who need both medical and psychological help, as well as basic household items. The scale of the refugee situation could be unprecedented,“ says Kristina Meide, coordinator of Mūsų Širdys ir Rankos Ukrainai and head of the Red Cross in Lithuania.
SBA Group is also joining the Stiprūs Kartu initiative, which is mobilising support for the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees. SBA Group will use its own holiday homes near lakes in Trakai and Molėtai to accommodate families fleeing the war. The holiday homes can accommodate up to 100 refugees.
„Organised business support for housing is more necessary than ever, as we will face an unprecedented influx of people seeking asylum. Our sincere thanks to those who have contributed,“ says Edmundas Jakilaitis, the pioneer of Stiprūs Kartu.
The SBA Group company Kauno Baldai is already contributing to assist the first wave of refugees. The company is sending the first batches of mattresses to the temporary accommodation house in Vilnius, Savanorių Avenue.
SBA Group is one of the largest business groups in Lithuania. It operates in the furniture, textiles, and real estate sectors. The group employs around 5,500 people. It exports its products to 50 countries around the world, with sales of €342.5 million in 2020.
