A helping hand from a local company

Gifts and care are central themes during the Christmas season. Omega AS takes this tradition to a whole new level.

GRANNAR (18.12.14) Sverre Johannes Rullestad and Sander Pedersen

“We don’t give Christmas gifts to our employees in Omega. In 2003, we decided, instead, to give the money to community projects and to those who really need it. For 11 years our Christmas bonuses have been donated to community projects, both in Norway and abroad,” says Kari Aakra from Omega’s Communications Department.

Sølvi Grindheim Stople with one of the children at the orphanage in Ukraine. Photo: Kjetil Espeland

The company in Ølensvåg receives phone calls and emails from employees that are proud to be a part of something bigger as their company Christmas gifts go to organizations that use the money to aid those in need.

One million

“This year, our Christmas gift goes to CARE, an international, non-profit organization that seeks to promote the rights of girls and women. For both 2014 and 2015 we will give an annual gift of NOK 500 000 to CARE - NOK 1million in total,” says Omega’s Service Center Manager, Aslaug Østrem Nesheim. Up until 2013, we gave a gift of NOK 300 000 to a selected project each year. Last year we increased the sum to NOK 500 000, and CARE will receive our Christmas gift this year and next,” she says.

Orphanage

“When we choose our community projects, we always look for organizations that can show that our contributions reach those who need them most. Our goal is always to reach those that are actually facing a difficult situation; this is a crucial, and we know this is important to Omega employees.Organizations such as Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders send us regular updates from their work, which we publish on our websites. In this way, our employees, in offices and on assignments around the world, can see what the money Omega donates goes to,” says Kari Aakra.

The construction of an orphanage in Ukraine was a project that employees in Omega could follow online over several years.

“Some of our employees visited the orphanage in 2008 and a larger group visited the orphanage as part of a teambuilding in 2012. In this case, our employees could meet the children themselves and hear about how their contributions had helped them to a achieve a better life,” Aakra says.

“It is great that the Christmas bonuses go to such an important project. It was also good to see that the money is used well. Not everyone, whether in Norway or abroad, are well off. It is therefore wonderful that these people can receive some extra help at Christmastime,” says Sølvi Grinheim Stople, who made the trip to the orphanage in Ukraine.

Published: 18.12.14