Almost a year has passed since COVID-19 took the world by storm. 2020 was definitely a challenging year so far and everyone tried to the best of their abilities to help and contribute to restoring balance where it was most needed. In times like these, the CEOs of big companies have a chance to really make a difference and step in to give back to the community. From sending medical help, donating cash, or offering free services, companies are continuously finding ways of joining the fight against COVID-19.
EverFx and Axios Holding teaming up to help families in Cyprus
The first example of big companies stepping up to help the local communities comes from Cyprus and an initiative by investor Rati Tchelidze. His FinTech incubator Axios Holding and EverFX joined hands to reach out to families in Nicosia and Limassol ahead of the Easter celebrations. More exactly, the companies and their strategic partners in Cyprus rolled out a program to help around 600 families. The much-needed helping hand comes in the form of a €50 coupon that could be used at Alphamega supermarkets to buy any type of products except tobacco and alcohol.
The families eligible for receiving the €50 coupon were chosen by the Cyprus Red Cross Society while government authorities were also involved to ensure full transparency. Rati Tchelidze, CEO of Axios Holding and CEO of EverFX both felt that it’s the perfect way for the companies they are leading to give back to the community that served as their home for so many years.
The Cyprus Red Cross Society already expressed their gratitude and appreciation through a statement that underlined the importance of organizations and individuals coming together to provide assistance in times of need. Furthermore, the mayors of Limassol and Polemidia – where EverFX and Axios Holding have their offices – welcomed the charity efforts of both companies.
How other international companies stepped in
As we look to other parts of the world, we can see multiple examples of companies and their CEOs joining the fight against COVID-19 and its economical effects. There’s no shortage of examples of how the big companies stood by their employees and local communities through various acts of charity and social responsibility.
Amazon donated $5 million to local businesses
In a move to support the businesses around their Seattle headquarters, Amazon created a $5 million relief fund. This fund is aimed at small businesses with fewer than 50 employees or an annual revenue lower than $7 million. The main idea behind the fund is to allow these small businesses to survive during the difficult economic times and maintain their employees. Furthermore, the extra funds from Amazon should help these businesses to continue paying rent and stabilize the entire area. In addition to the $5 million directed towards this cause, Amazon together with Microsoft are co-creators of the COVID-19 Response Fund that targets Washington State.
Microsoft offers free online courses
Besides the multiple COVID-19 response funds they’re involved in, such as the one mentioned above, Microsoft is tackling the entire situation from a different perspective as well. The company offers free online courses to more than 25 million people needing the digital skill that are in-demand right now. Collaborating with LinkedIn and GitHub, Microsoft started a series of free courses to improve digital skills and help fight the unemployment spike caused by COVID-19 in the US and the rest of the world. And since the several lockdowns all over the globe accelerated digitization, Microsoft and its partners set up the framework to help people learn new skills that are needed in the new environment caused by the pandemic.
Other examples from across the globe
- Roche, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant shipped around 400,000 COVID-19 tests to the US every week to help broad-based testing in around 30 laboratories with broad geographic reach.
- In the United Kingdom, Vauxhall offered to assemble ventilators and components using their 3D printers after stopping production due to shortage of demand.
- LVMH, the French holding that owns Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, Bulgari, Dom Perignon, and Tiffany has transformed some of their perfume-producing factories into production lines for hand-sanitizer.
Story by Alex Vasile
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