A month ago, in Olivia Business Centre, we initiated the campaign which aim was to help victims of storms, which hit Pomerania in the night of 11th to 12th August. Kościerski, Bytowski and Chojnicki counties suffered the most. Losses in communes were (and still are) serious: destroyed power lines, flooding, roofs of houses, schools and institutions were blown off… 5 people were killed during storms. According to current estimates, it will take a few years to deal with the consequences of this natural disaster. Fallen trees will have been removed till… 2019 (as a consequence of storms more than 44 thousand hectares of forests were damaged).
Just a few days after the disaster, the representatives of Olivia Business Centre were present on the site– in Chojnice. We talked, for example, to Adam Kuklewski – an inspector from Organisational and Civil Affairs Department of Chojnice Commune and with Bernadeta Zimnicka, director of municipal educational complex. Joint analysis of the most pressing needs resulted in Olivia Business Centre’s rapid purchase of power generator, tarpaulins and saws, which a while later were handed to the representatives of the commune. More information can be found, for example, on the website of Voluntary Fire Brigade in Charzykowy.
– We went to Słupsk to buy chain saws – said Paweł Pinker from Olivia Business Centre – There were none left in the nearest neighbourhood. It is heartwarming that people reacted so fast to the most important needs that were being signalised at that time.
According to information obtained in the commune, the issue, which requires long-term measures, is helping a school in Silno. The school was seriously damaged, considerable part of the roof was blown off, some rooms were flooded. Now we are waiting for the valuation of damages. Later on, we will determine to which extent Olivia and its residents can take part in school reconstruction. Not only students, pre-school children and children from classes 1-3 benefit from the school, but also the local community.
From the start, we have tried to prompt companies residing in our business complex to help the victims. The companies responded to our appeal in a flash, some individuals from, for example Airhelp, Bayer and other enterprises did too. Among workers from Energa, Fujifilm and Staples there was organised a collection of things needed in school clubroom in Kłodawa, school in Silno and other facilities, in which students started another school year in September.
On Monday, September 11th, Olivia Business Centre was visited by Zbigniew Szczepański, mayor of Chojnice commune and Krzysztof Gierszewski, deputy mayor of the city of Brusy. They collected school starters which included backpacks, pencil cases, office supplies, notebooks and crayons gathered by the workers of Energa, Fujifilm and Staples.
– What can such a community as ours do for you, for your commune, for the victims? – this was the question Monika Bogdanowicz from Olivia Business Centre asked Zbigniew Szczepański at the end of the meeting, in which the representatives of donors took part.
– You declared help in the reconstruction of an old, historic school in Silno and I am very grateful for that. You also gave us significant gifts, which reached the most injured victims in a key moment. I would like to remind that the storm hit, also in a material sense, 1/3 of residents of our commune, which counts 18 thousand people. We do appreciate this gift of the heart. Very often the work of psychologists consists in giving hope. You are such people right now, you give us hope – said Zbigniew Szczepański, mayor of Chojnice commune. – Now you address your help to children. This help, school starters, is on point and significant. We would like to thank all companies from the bottom of our hearts on our behalf and on behalf of our residents.
– We are in a city, which is the symbol of great solidarity. You are also active here, you function here. This solidarity can be seen in Olivia Business Centre. – emphasised Zbigniew Szczepański and added – Your interest in our great tourist accommodation and your presence in beautiful Brusy and Chojnice communes will be additional help. We have to rebuild. Our national park and the Tuchola Forest didn’t suffer that much. In our district we have more than 160 kilometres of bicycle paths, 100 lakes… We hope that Tri-City residents will be simply coming to us for their holidays or in their leisure time. You are welcome. It will be invaluable support for us.
If you are still interested in cooperation and help, please write to us on
razem@oliviacentre.com
WE THANK ALL DONORS FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!
