The ALDI SOUTH Group is working closely with organisations that create a positive and sustainable global impact. We aim to be an active member of the community, using our skills and resources in ways that go beyond our core business.
As a group, we work with charitable organisations on key issues and target groups: We donate money and products, and also use other resources such as employees’ time and skills. We also work with non-profit organisations in countries where we source our products and focus on improving health, education and social causes, and supporting the environment.
The ALDI SOUTH Group Ukraine relief fund
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The ALDI SOUTH Group set up the Ukraine Response Team to mitigate the business risks associated with the invasion. The team also recognised the Group’s responsibility to support the humanitarian response.
In March 2022, we pledged €5 million to help communities, families and individuals affected, providing both emergency and medium-term support. We partnered with established international aid organisations – the Red Cross, Caritas, Diakonie and SOS Kinderdorf – to distribute humanitarian aid in Ukraine and neighbouring countries and to support Ukrainian refugees in Austria. All funds were distributed between March 2022 and May 2023 for projects to run until 2024.
We wanted to give the charities access to donations without restrictions: they know best where and for what the aid is needed. We kept in contact with them throughout the period to discuss what was needed and what had been achieved. Other initiatives included national ALDI teams donating products and the Group also funded an initiative with a HOFER fresh vegetable supplier to provide organic baby food to Ukraine.
Organisations we supported with our Ukraine relief fund
Caritas Austria
Caritas initially used our donation to support people in need in Ukraine by distributing water, food, hygiene kits, and vouchers to buy food and basic personal items. They then concentrated on providing winter shelter and community support, as well as psychosocial support for children and families.
In the medium term (until the end of 2024), the focus of our donation will be on supporting children in Ukraine by providing access to continuous, equitable, inclusive, and quality education, as well as supporting reintegration and psychological recovery.
SOS-Kinderdorf
Our donation to SOS-Kinderdorf is helping refugees and families in Ukraine. At the start of the war, the charity helped people from dangerous areas, provided short-term shelters and food, hygiene and non-food items, and provided short-term support for children and their caregivers.
As the war goes on, the focus is now on keeping families together and helping foster families, vulnerable families,, children who have lost parents, families who have lost children, and traumatised children. SOS-Kinderdorf is also helping local organisations to provide psychological services and case management to children and families affected by conflict.
Austrian Red Cross
ALDI’s initial donations to the Red Cross were used for food, water, sanitation supplies and emergency shelters items. They also bought ambulances for the Ukrainian Red Cross Society in order to support the operation of Mobile Health Units in Ukraine.
In the medium term (until the end of 2024), the remaining funds will be used in the following areas: livelihoods, rehabilitation, reconstruction and disaster risk reduction and management.
Diakonie Austria
ALDI supports Diakonie, which provides physical, psychological, and legal support to people displaced by war and helps them to integrate into Austrian society.
Diakonie uses our funding to run several projects:
- Counselling centres in Vienna, Lower Austria, Salzburg, and Tyrol. These centres offer basic care and advice on social and health issues. They also run special programmes for the integration of young people and the elderly.
- Housing and legal counselling
- Helpline: free advice and help for people suffering from mental stress
- Early childhood support for mothers and their children
Baby Food Project
The ALDI SOUTH Group helped the fruit and vegetable supplier, Meleco, and the non-profit organisation SUNUA (Support Ukraine Now Upper Austria) deliver organic baby food to Ukraine.
Half of the project costs were paid, and 1 million packages of baby food puree were given to hospitals, orphanages, and children’s homes.
Turkey and Syria relief fund
The ALDI SOUTH Group donated €500,000 to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to help people affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February 2023. This helped to ensure that emergency aid was delivered to those individuals, families and communities who needed it most.
ALDI SOUTH Group received Red Cross Humanity Award
The Austrian Red Cross “Heinrich Treichl Foundation” has given ALDI the 2023 Red Cross Humanity Award for our social commitment and support in international disasters (war in Ukraine and Syria/Turkey earthquake).
