Marking a half a century of successful operation in Serbia, the Coca-Coca system signed a donation agreement with the Red Cross of Serbia and the B92 Foundation, aimed at providing support to soup kitchens across the country. The donation, in the value of six million dinars, will be allocated for the procurement of cooking equipment for quicker and better-quality meal preparation.
“Soup kitchens are a symbol of the most humane support to individuals and families as they often provide the only hot cooked meal for the most vulnerable citizens of Serbia. Therefore, the Coca-Cola system’s donation is particularly significant. This is another extraordinary gesture of our partner, which has always assisted people in all adverse situations and crises,” said President of the Red Cross of Serbia Prof. Dr Dragan Radovanović.
The Red Cross manages 76 soup kitchens, whose services are used by more than 35,000 people. One third of all soup kitchen users are children, and the overall number of users is growing.
“For half a century, the Coca-Cola system has been actively participating in the lives of people in Serbia; we are part of the history, tradition and most remarkable moments in the lives of our fellow citizens. As a long-standing partner of the Red Cross and the B92 Foundation, together we have been focused on improving the quality of life of the country’s population for more than a decade. The soup kitchen system is vital for a large number of socially vulnerable people, including more than 12,000 children. Wishing to make an even stronger impact in Serbia, we decided to mark our anniversary by helping others,” said Svetoslav Atanasov, Coca-Cola HBC Serbia General Manager.
The plan is to install the equipment in cooperation with the B92 Foundation by the spring of 2019, when a special soup kitchen in Belgrade is scheduled to start operating as well, preparing meals in emergency and crisis situations.