INA workers and management have been buying Christmas presents for children and young people in children’s homes throughout Croatia for nine years. INA workers fulfilled the wishes of as many as 845 children and youth without proper parental care throughout Croatia this year.
“Our incredible employees are once again responsible for the real Christmas spirit that could be felt in our company this holiday season. They responded with record speed and bought gifts for more than 800 children and young people from Children’s Homes all over Croatia. This initiative, which has become a tradition in our company at the end of the year, enriches the holiday experience of our employees and, more importantly, contributes to the creation of lasting memories for children. I wish them all a Merry Christmas and the nice holidays they deserve”, said Tamara Karagity, Director of INA Corporate Communications and Marketing.
One of the institutions whose children were made happy by the gifts is the Maestral Community Services Center, which currently cares for 155 children and young adults. “INA’s action has an important significance and meaning for us, because we direct most of our work to the children’s sense of satisfaction and smile, because, unfortunately, they most often come to us in tears. And for that, thank you very much,” said Jelena Burazin, director of the Maestral Community Services Center.
In SOS Children’s Villages, for example, I can no longer imagine the holidays without INA: “Giving gifts and spending time with Santa Claus with our youngest is always the crowning glory of the long-term cooperation we nurture with Ina.” The need for accommodation for children is increasing, and we at SOS Children’s Villages are trying every day to maintain the quality of family-type care that we have been providing in Croatia for 30 years,” said Mario Čović, director of SOS Children’s Village Lekenik. The smile of the little ones after the gifts arrive at their homes is priceless. This is confirmed by the director of the Klasje center from Osijek, Vedran Škugor: “The best indicator of the value of this action is its durability, the cooperation that lasts for years. A child’s smile is priceless, and INA puts it on the faces of our children with these small selfless acts.”
Children and young people from SOS Children’s Village Lekenik and SOS Children’s Village Ladimirevci, Sveta Ana Children’s Home in Vinkovci, Klasje Center in Osijek, Ivana Brlić Mažuranić Children’s Home Lovran, Lipik Children’s Home, Maestral Split Children’s Home, Maslina Children’s Home in Dubrovnik, Children’s Home Dawn in Koprivnica, the Vladimir Nazor Children’s Home in Karlovac, the Vrbin Children’s Home in Sisak and the House of Happy Bricks Children’s Home in Slavonski Brod will, thanks to the workers of INA, find their desired gift under the pine this holiday season.
“My SOS mom says that all children are good children. That’s why Krampus never comes to our Children’s Village. But always, just always, Santa Claus comes. And this is not an ordinary Santa who arrives on a sleigh, ours arrives in a van with INA written on it. Then we all get presents and are very happy”. M. (7)
“I really like it when we get presents because I almost always get what I want. That makes me very happy. I love it when on Christmas morning my daughter and I go through what we got and play with new things. It’s nice that some people want us to be happy and buy us these gifts”. L.S. (10)
“Thank you to all the dear people who participate in the donation through Ina. It’s nice to know that someone is thinking of us 😊”. L. H. (16)