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Volunteer Project: Meals for Ukrainian Refugees in Amsterdam - Irdeto Insights

Written by Lisa Spencer | May 20, 2022 10:00:00 AM

The world was brought to a standstill as news broke on that Russia had launched a military attack on Ukraine on early hours of 24 February 2022. As a global company with colleagues, friends and family from all over the world, Irdeto reacted quickly and joined the efforts to provide relief to those that need it the most.

As the first step, Irdeto made a $25K USD contribution to the International Red Cross and an additional $25K USD donation to a local Ukraine-based relief organization called the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund. Staying true to our corporate mission of empowering a secure world where people can connect with confidence, Irdeto is also helping smaller Ukrainian game developers protect their video games for free. We imagine that running a business while their country is under attack is not an easy job.

Open applications for tech professionals affected by the war

Like many other tech companies, we are welcoming applications from talented software creators and engineers whose lives have been affected by the war. As a company, we provide relocation packages and visa support where needed. We would like to support people in every way that we can as we work to protect, renew and empower our shared digital future! Irdeto is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on identity or innate characteristics, instead we aim to build a diverse, inclusive culture where your talent counts. Visit our careers site to learn more.

Volunteer days @ Irdeto

Each Irdetee has a volunteer day they can spend with an organization they wish to support. This year, we have extended one volunteer day to 10 days, to give all our employees an opportunity to offer a helping hand. The reality is that when people get together and work towards the same goal, their impact becomes much bigger. As they say, “one plus one equals three”. Great support to those affected by the war has been given by many Irdetees around the world. This year, our colleagues have taken 60 volunteer days so far. From fundraisers to donations – our people have shown their support and joined the call for peace. Our Hoofddorp office is no exception, bringing to life some initiatives to support those fleeing the conflict.

Meals for Ukrainian refugees

The number of Ukrainian refugees, including children, arriving in the Netherlands is increasing day by day. Most refugees are being placed in hostels that provide free shelter and basic food. However, they are still in need of warm meals and certain items for their daily lives. In collaboration with Vermaat Group, one of the biggest catering companies in the Netherlands and our catering provider in our Hoofddorp office, we launched a weekly volunteering project to prepare warm meals for Ukrainian refugees. So far, 50 Irdetees located in The Netherlands have cooked more than 1,050 meals prepared with much love and hope for a better future!


Both the Irdeto and Vermaat teams have gotten a lot of thank you messages from those fleeing the war. Something as small as a plate of food and a smile can touch the hearts of many.

Below, some gratitude letters we have received since the start of the project:

Reusing our office space

In our headquarter office in Hoofddorp, we have reused some space to create a warehouse that is used for the needs of the Ukraine Volunteer group in the Haarlemmermeer region. This room is used to collect, store and distribute strategic donations for Ukrainian refugees in the region. So far, our colleagues and other companies from the region have donated bikes, medical supplies, and toys for Ukrainians joining our local community. Additionally, Irdeto has donated older laptops and phones!

The warehouse is managed by a group of Irdeto volunteers.

A call to action

Would you like to support similar initiatives in your local communities? Feel free to reach out to us to learn more about our experiences and let us guide you in this process! Our Internal Communications team would love to connect and work with other companies. You can reach us at: internalcomms@irdeto.com

Events like these have the potential to divide people far from the conflict itself. It is in times like these that our humanity should go beyond our individual ideas, politics, careers or business goals. Our hearts and thoughts are with all of those affected by the war. With your help, we can double – or triple our impact. Join us!