Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Ikea Canada Pledges Help for Syrian Refugees
December 11,
2015 by in Community / Charitable Support, Industry 
Ikea Canada is pitching in support for Syrian refugee families settling in Canada through furniture donations.
The retailer is supporting Canada’s commitment to welcome 25,000 refugees by the end of February. Ikea Canada is accepting requests for support from Canadian registered charitable organizations that have a mandate to support newcomers to Canada. Ikea’s total project budget of $180,000 in Canadian dollars for product support has been allocated evenly to the surrounding communities of each of the 12 operating Ikea Canada stores and the six pick-up and order points to fulfill requests for support.
The retailer will accept applications from registered charitable organizations now through March 31 or until the project budget has been exhausted.
"At Ikea Canada we know the home is the most important place in the world," said Stefan Sjöstrand, president of Ikea Canada. "By offering donations of home furnishings for refugees, we are not only providing the basic necessities for their new life in Canada, but more importantly offering the comforts of home in a time when they need it the most."
Products donated to meet basic home furnishing needs may include: bed frames, mattresses, linens, cookware and tableware, appliances, lighting, dining room tables and chairs, children's toys and books and living room seating.
This program is being introduced in the midst of Ikea’s Brighter Lives for Refugees campaign, which runs through Dec. 19. For every LED product sold in all Ikea stores and online during this period, the Ikea Foundation will donate €1 ($1.47 Canadian dollars) to help UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Funds raised by the campaign will help provide solar street lights, solar powered lanterns, and solar energy systems in refugee camps in various regions. In addition, the campaign also funds improved access to primary education in refugee camps.
Last year, the Brighter Lives for Refugees campaign raised more than $14.6 million Canadian globally, in support of refugees from across the globe.
"UNHCR continues to be grateful to IKEA for all its initiatives to aid and improve the lives of many refugees," said Furio De Angelis, UNHCR representative in Canada. "We are particularly happy for the role IKEA will be playing assisting in the establishment of Syrian refugees to Canada."