The coronavirus pandemic resulted in the elderly becoming more isolated and vulnerable, families facing financial worries and healthcare professionals putting their lives on the line. At the same time, many faced additional hardship due to climate-related disasters.

Electrolux and the Electrolux Food Foundation, together with its partners and employees, supported initiatives throughout 2020 to provide food and meet basic needs for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic as well as devastating flooding, landslides, hurricanes and storms.

The total number of meals donated between 2016 and 2020 amounted to almost 1.4 million. In 2020, the equivalent of approximately 900,000 meals were donated by the Electrolux Food Foundation through employee-led projects in our local communities, business units donations and our global partnership with the Red Cross. 

Food donation projects around the world in 2020

From lunchboxes delivered to frontline hospital workers, food vouchers for struggling families and emergency supplies for those left hungry and displaced, there was an unprecedented level of activities to support people in need during 2020. 

"With the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, we quickly saw the need to focus on supporting communities, providing food and provisions to help the most vulnerable in society who were at especially high risk," says Ingrid Mellstig, Head of the Electrolux Food Foundation.

The foundation kick-started its response in Stockholm with funding for the local Food4Heroes project, providing free, delivered meals for the elderly and frontline healthcare workers.

In May and June, the Electrolux showroom in Lisbon, Portugal, was transformed into a bakery to launch the 'Bread from the Heart' initiative. Sponsored by local employee donations and the Food Foundation, freshly baked bread was distributed in collaboration with local charities to local families in need.

Food vouchers provided a lifeline for those living in Brazil’s poorest communities, and who were forced to stay home with little or no income.

Food Foundation funding enabled families to receive emergency vouchers, providing meals for one month in collaboration with Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Institute. The campaign specifically targeted parts of the population affected by the coronavirus.

Employee-led initiatives were co-funded such as The Porch Pantry – a food bank set up by an employee in North America after seeing families struggle in the local community as it became a coronavirus hotspot. Supported by a donation from Electrolux North America and the Food Foundation, the team were able to support 200 families in need.

Meals were also provided through a unique collaboration between the Food Foundation, Red Cross in Stockholm and participants of the Like a Chef culinary training program at Yalla Rinkeby. Every week, food for around 40 people was transported by volunteer Electrolux employees to the Red Cross House, which serves as a place of respite for the hungry and homeless.

In December, employees across five Latin American countries took part in a holiday-time initiative that enabled the donation of meals and other support to thousands of families in need. These are examples of the many food donation projects that spanned five continents.

Joining forces with the Red Cross

In March, the Electrolux Food Foundation announced a partnership with the world’s largest humanitarian network – the Red Cross.

“We chose to partner with the Red Cross because they are globally renowned, have a passion for sustainability and they have a long history of supporting people in need,” says Malin Ekefalk, Director Social Responsibility & Community Investment.

The foundation proudly contributed SEK 500,000 and Electrolux boosted funds to their Global Covid-19 Emergency Appeal and Disaster Relief Emergency Fund by inviting employees with access to the company intranet to make this donation even more significant.

Funds raised from the Red Cross appeals have been directed towards Central America, where Hurricane Iota and Storm Eta resulted in devastating landslides and flooding as well as Southeast Asia, where a succession of tropical storms left catastrophic consequences for the livelihoods of local people.

In addition, immediate support for emergency relief efforts was provided in Beirut following the explosion in August, including products donated to key neighborhoods.

Community support in our regions

In North America, product donations of USD 2.3 million and cash donations of USD 70,350 were additionally made in key communities, focusing on sustainable food initiatives and the needs of the hungry and homeless.

Local teams across Europe supported their communities, providing 18,200 healthy hot meals for the elderly and healthcare workers while 455 appliances were donated in the region in 2020. Emergency response organizations and field hospitals set up to deal with the pandemic in Latin America received donations including 1,109 appliances and funds amounting to SEK 52,000.

Community support continued in APAC and MEA helping the elderly, hospitals and cancer institutes with around 1,000 products donated across the region in 2020.

Over SEK 700,000 in funds was also contributed as either direct cash donations or indirect contributions to support initiatives that involve immigrant workers, local schools and charity food organizations.

In addition, the ongoing Planet Water partnership was able to provide over 26,000 people with access to clean and safe water in Indonesia and the Philippines. And aqua towers – for water access were provided in Cambodia as a response to nationwide floods in the country.

Read more about our Community Investment work.