The Czech Philharmonic will play its first live-audience concert of the year as a thank-you to all of the social service workers who succumbed to covid-19 over the past year while working on the front lines. The benefit concert will be dedicated to the families of deceased carers who are experiencing such devastating personal tragedies right now. Thanks to your support, we will help the direct survivors of carers who did not give up despite the difficult working conditions and showed courage, determination and solidarity with their clients despite the danger that their jobs posed to their own lives.
Thank you very much for your support to caregivers in social services who succumbed to covid-19 while performing their professions on the “front line”. Together we managed to raise over CZK 1.9 million.
“Throughout her life, Ester helped other people – as the director of a shelter, center for the physically disabled and later through the personal assistance service which she founded. During February 2020, she fell ill with covid-19 and succumbed to the disease several days later. Now her son is trying to keep the personal assistance service going, hoping that the sudden situation, which neither he nor the organization were prepared for, will make the service even more resilient.” (Personal assistant service worker)
Similarly to health care professionals and other first line staff, social service workers have been dealing with the covid-19 pandemic for over a year. Over the past year, carers in nursing homes and facilities for the disabled, nursing workers and field workers have all cared for the most vulnerable groups of the population on a daily basis. Particularly for the elderly, carers have become a second family in many cases. Some even locked themselves in with their clients in nursing homes in the early days of the epidemic to reduce the risk of infection. Field workers often had to change into protective gear on the street because they visited different clients in different homes every day as part of their jobs.
“Even after his clients became infected with covid-19,Adam († 53) kept on diligently doing his job at our nursing home. Although he tried to adhere to all of the anti-epidemic and hygienic rules we instituted in the home he too became infected, and in December 2020 he passed away. He was a good co-worker and friend. He spent all of his free time with his 11-year-old son Petr and his wife Klara. We all miss him very much.” (Nursing home director)
Despite all of the anti-epidemic measures, 21 social service workers died due to covid-19 over the past year. Social service workers also comprise a low-income group. The compensation they are entitled to, which is based on their wage level, is thus much lower than in other groups. Join us in supporting the families of selfless social service staff who did not hesitate to put their own lives at risk to care for the most vulnerable members of society. The proceeds from the collection will be distributed equally among the direct survivors of the deceased carers, who are experiencing their own personal tragedies right now and also find themselves in financial crisis due to the loss of family income.
“Olga had worked in a home for people with physical disabilities since 2010. Unfortunately, even she became ill with covid-19 in March and died that very same month. Olga has five children and six grandchildren. Her calling in life was to help and care for her own family as well as for our clients. Her death has affected us all deeply because she was a woman full of strength, optimism and love.” (Home for the physically disabled director)
Project organizers:
The benefit concert is being held on the occasion of the jubilee 30th anniversary of ŠKODA AUTO’s entry into the Volkswagen group. The public collection to help families of social workers who died due to covid-19 is administered by Via Foundation in collaboration with the Czech Philharmonic. The project patron is the Association of Social Care Providers of the Czech Republic, which will distribute the proceeds equally to all of the surviving families. The Trade Union of Health and Social Care of the Czech Republic and the Czech Medical Chamber have expressed their support for the project. The Czech Philharmonic benefit concert will take place on Monday, May 10 at 8:15 p.m. CET. The concert program is available HERE. Czech Television Art will broadcast the concert live and it will also be streamed on the Czech Philharmonic’s official Facebook page and ŠKODA AUTO platform ŠKODA Storyboard. Thank you.
Note: The cases described are real but we have changed the names of the individuals to protect the families’ privacy.
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Thank you very much for your support to caregivers in social services who succumbed to covid-19 while performing their professions on the “front line”. "Together we managed to raise over CZK 1.9 million.
Dear donors, Thank you, you are amazing!
The collection continues (until 24.5.) and with your help the support for the bereaved families of social service workers is growing daily. Association of Social Care Providers of the Czech Republic, as the recipient of the assistance, will distribute the final proceeds equally among 21 families.
The management of the Association says:
We thank all donors for their contribution, any amount means that the work of employees in social services makes sense. Thank you for your willingness to help those who are currently going through a difficult period. Each donated amount will help them in their journey through life without their loved ones. (Jiří Horecký, President of the Association of Providers of Social Care of the Czech Republic)
And finally, a few words from a son of one of the heroines:
Although I was not personally present in the concert hall, I watched the entire live broadcast from home. I would also like to thank everyone who took part in this benefit concert. Even though it will soon be a half a year since my mother suddenly left us without words of farewell, I still feel as if it didn't happen. The words of Marek Eben brought me back to remembering my mother, who never turned her back on anyone. She enjoyed her job of caring for others. She would do anything for her colleagues at work, the clients she cared for and for her family. There are not many people like that. She had recently mentioned her retirement and how she would devote herself to her grandson, but Covid was stronger and all her plans for the future will remain unfulfilled. She loved life and the people around her. Therefore, everyone who was involved in this project deserves my BIG THANK YOU. I know, these are just words, but I hope they are also comforting.
Thank you. We would like to thank all the social service workers for their selfless work, the Czech Philharmonic for a beautiful concert and all of you who donated and supported those who are currently in dire need of your help.
Special thanks go to Škoda Auto, who donated CZK 1,000,000 to the collection during the evening.
You can support the bereaved families until Monday, May 24, 2021 here at Darujme.cz or by texting DMS POMOCVKRIZI 90 to 87 777.
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