LeasePlan donated cars and fuel cards to the local governments and recruited volunteers to help their work during the Coronavirus crisis

Coronavirus forces us to keep physical distance from each other, however, people show unprecedented social solidarity in this situation. Several initiatives from all around the world have been offered by companies and private people as well, to support the workers who stand in the frontline. LeasePlan is committed to people being the strongest only by supporting each other so we decided to donate cars, fuel cards and offered our help in human resources to support the local governments, who work hard to ensure social care to those in need.

The coronavirus pandemic has different effect on each industry, area and individual, and it causes various kind of problems. Keeping ourselves apart from our loved ones is a big challenge for all of us, but there are people all around the world who need others’ help in such ordinary things like going to buy food, medicine or visiting the post office. In the meantime, numerous workers in healthcare and social care, who fight the virus on the frontline work 7/24 for the people in need. The endangered people – the elderly, sick and disabled residents – can stay safe if they reduce their social contacts to the minimum and ask help in shopping for food and medicine. This help needs to be provided by the local governments according to the measures of the Hungarian Authorities. The number of the requests are increasing permanently but their capacities of logistic tools and human resources are limited. That’s why LeasePlan decided that they offer help directly to this segment.

We contacted several institutes and made needs assessment to find out how we can help in the most efficient way. According to the results LeasePlan Hungary contracted with the local governments of IV. and XXII. districts and donated five cars in co-operation with our used car business unit, CarNext. Besides the cars we provided fuel cards and vignettes for completing the logistic support.

Some of the local governments have shortage of human resources so we also recruited volunteers among our colleagues who now work remotely. Several employees applied not only in the capital but on the countryside as well. One of the colleagues who provides help in shopping for food and medicine in Balatonalmádi said: „I really like these kind of initiatives and I was happy when LeasePlan started to recruit volunteers. I think this kind of help gives much more than money because local people can feel that they can count on somebody even if they are alone. The volunteering inspires me as well and I feel that it’s worth to wake up in the morning as I do something good. A lady of those people who I visit from the very beginning wanted to give me money first and then some homemade cookies to thank my help. Of course, I rejected but I think it’s worth living for these moments because we experience this huge kindness very rarely.”

We follow closely the updates of the coronavirus and we are ready to offer further help.