The charity organization “Tavi Draugi” provides assistance in Latvia and Ukraine by organizing and coordinating the involvement of volunteers from the residents of Latvia, organizations, and businesses. We will continue to do this for as long as it is needed.
History
The organization was founded in 2013 in Engure. Before the full-scale war in Ukraine began, the organization provided help and support to families in need or those facing difficulties here in Latvia. For example, every year at Christmas, we visited 20-25 low-income families and lonely pensioners in the Tukums region, bringing joy to 80-100 people.
Areas of Activity
– Latvia:
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- Humanitarian aid for families with children;
- Humanitarian aid for lonely pensioners;
- Support for social care institutions;
- Humanitarian and informational support for refugees from Ukraine and their families;
- Programs to integrate adult Ukrainians into Latvian society and the labor market, as well as to integrate Ukrainian children into the Latvian education system;
- A rapid response team to address crisis situations, eliminate damage from disasters, and rescue people.
– Ukraine:
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- Humanitarian aid for Ukrainian civilians in Ukraine;
- Humanitarian aid for homeless animals in Ukraine;
- Support for strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities;
- Aid to Ukrainian medical institutions and emergency services;
- Reconstruction of war-damaged infrastructure.
– Implementation of Various Collaborative Projects:
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- Cooperation with other NGOs to achieve charitable goals more effectively;
- Cooperation with individuals and legal entities to implement specific charity projects;
- Cooperation with government institutions and local authorities to carry out charitable objectives.
– Implementation of Various Projects to Raise Funds for the Organization’s Daily Expenses and Charitable Projects:
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- “Kyiv Quarter” – organizing corporate events for companies and organizations;
- “Tavi Draugi” product line – exchanging products for donations;
- “Charity Shop” where goods are sold for targeted donations;
- Equipment rental for event organization.
– Educating the Public about the Importance and Role of Charitable Organizations, Their Principles, Methods, and Resources.
Additional Information
The strategic plan of the “Tavi Draugi” organization for 2024-2027 and its statutes. The organization has been granted the status of a public benefit organization, allowing donors to receive tax incentives.
Achievements
Since February 26, 2022, we have been actively involved in supporting Ukrainian citizens both in Latvia and Ukraine, as well as at the borders of various countries.
Initially, we delivered humanitarian aid to the Ukraine-Poland border using cars and passenger buses, providing warmth and hot meals to people standing in long lines.
At the same time, we transported Ukrainians who had fled Ukraine back to Latvia. In total, we have brought over 5,000 Ukrainians to Latvia.
When the refugee flow at the border decreased, we shifted our focus to organizing large shipments of humanitarian aid to the most affected areas of Ukraine.
In total, we have sent humanitarian aid worth around 7 million euros, totaling approximately 10,000 m³ in volume.
At the “Tavi Draugi” humanitarian aid point in Riga, located at Ventspils iela 50, K-3, donations are received, sorted, and humanitarian aid is distributed both on-site and prepared for shipment to Ukraine.
Here, over 27,000 distributions of essential items (clothes, hygiene products, food, household goods, etc.) have been made to Ukrainian refugees.
From October 2022 to the end of December 2023, we also provided support to refugees at the Latvia-Russia border, where we met people who had been waiting for hours or even days to be allowed into Latvia. We assisted Ukrainians by providing hot meals, drinks, dry clothes, internet access, rest areas, and information about their next destination.
Since the start of support at the border points, we have helped over 45,000 Ukrainian refugees.
The number of volunteers in the organization has reached around 5,000, and we are grateful to each of them for their help! The core of our team consists of 20 people from Latvia and an equal number of volunteers from Ukraine.
We are proud to have received the “Riga Citizen of the Year” award from the Riga City Council in 2022, as well as other accolades.
Mission
To support those who are facing difficult times and need immediate help, while promoting cooperation between individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. Together, we can achieve more!
