Supporting Local Communities: Our COVID-19 Response

We all need to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help those who are experiencing significant medical or economic impacts from the virus. Being a good neighbour is integral to Eldorado Gold’s identity, and we’re helping out by making significant financial and in-kind donations to support and strengthen the coronavirus response efforts in each of the communities where we operate.

Soon after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in mid-March, we re-allocated approximately US$500,000 from our 2020 corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget to COVID-19 community response efforts. As with all our CSR investments, local teams identify the areas of greatest need within their region and then tailor their support accordingly.

Vancouver: Supporting vulnerable populations

Our corporate office in Vancouver has a long history of volunteering with and donating to organizations that support vulnerable groups, including shelters and foodbanks. This spring, Eldorado matched employee donations, raising a total of $8,100 for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank to provide healthy food to those in need.

Quebec: Donating PPE and helping those in need

Our team at Lamaque donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to the regional health-care authority and to local community organizations – including a non-profit agency in the First Nation’s community near our site, Lac Simon, that provides food and other necessities to mothers and babies. The team also made donations to local food banks, organizations that support elder care and suicide prevention, and groups that promote the local tourism and cultural sector.

Turkey: Supporting local communities

Our Turkish teams have supported a wide range of initiatives that include the print and distribution of thousands of posters and leaflets about COVID-19 in places such as mosques, bus stops and tea houses in the communities; distributing food packages so that vulnerable residents do not need to leave their homes; providing supplies and hygiene equipment to local health-care facilities; and disinfecting public spaces, such as streets and playgrounds.

At Kışladağ, our teams have contributed to Province and Municipality funds to provide financial support to local residents who have lost their jobs in the pandemic period. At Efemçukuru, the CSR team also donated Tyvek coveralls, medical masks, food packages and hygiene products to the local municipality and households.

Greece: Providing critical medical equipment, PPE and more

With local hospitals and health-care agencies under great pressure, our Hellas Gold team donated critical medical equipment to meet urgent needs. This included a state-of the art portable digital radiology unit donated to the intensive care unit at AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki. The team also donated six portable bedside respirators to the General Hospital of Halkidiki. Other contributions included 1,000 protective face shields, as well as protective items including coveralls, masks and gloves.

Within the Municipality of Aristotle, where our Kassandra mines are located, the team donated funds to disinfect all schools and municipal and public buildings, distributed PPE to vulnerable groups, and enhanced the local emergency response.

In addition, our Hellas Gold team contributed to national health and specific aid funds, to support local residents, health agencies and welfare organisations.

Brazil: Donating an ambulance

Our Tocantinzinho project is in a remote location, 300 kilometres away from the nearest hospital in Itaituba. Our team in Brazil donated an ambulance which will serve the local Moraes Almeida community and will transport symptomatic respiratory patients or others requiring urgent medical care to the Municipal Hospital in Itaituba, where they can receive specialized treatment for COVID-19 and other illnesses.

Romania: Protecting healthcare workers

In an initial response to COVID-19 in Romania, where Certej, our gold-silver project is located, our team donated 300 litres of urgently needed hand sanitizer to the Deva County Emergency Hospital to help reduce the risk of infection among their 800 healthcare workers. Our team is now evaluating other high-impact donations that can support the local community.

Looking ahead

The impacts of the coronavirus are continually evolving, and Eldorado’s pandemic response will evolve as well. We will continue to work closely with our local communities to identify the areas of highest need and respond accordingly – whether through additional support for emergency response or shifting the focus to community resilience and recovery. Together, we will work to overcome the challenges of COVID-19.