Good Neighbor Supported 18 Community Projects This Year
Adjustable basketball hoops for younger children, new fruit trees and raised garden beds, and even a solar dryer for medicinal herbs. All it took was reaching out to the good neighbor, and the funding was secured. For five years, the Good Neighbor grant program has supported meaningful projects by civic associations and schools in Bratislava’s city districts of Ružinov, Vrakuňa, and Podunajské Biskupice, as well as in the municipality of Rovinka. This year alone, the program distributed over 32,000 euros. When an interesting idea was combined with the enthusiastic volunteer spirit of people eager to improve life for the entire community, turning ideas into action wasn’t far off.
“The Good Neighbor grant program was created to support positive changes in the communities surrounding the refinery and to connect active individuals. Over the past five years, it has shown that creating friendly neighborly relationships only requires good ideas and a program that gives them a chance,” says Anton Molnár, Communication Director of SLOVNAFT, a.s.
In its five years, the Good Neighbor program has supported over 60 projects aimed at community, cultural, and social development, bringing together local governments, schools, and civic associations. “Ideas for improving community life come in throughout the year, and we evaluate them in four rounds. Last year, we received 27 applications. From these, we selected the 18 best and supported them with a total of 32,800 euros,” explains Ľubica Štúberová, Program Manager at the Ekopolis Foundation.
In the Slovnaft grant program, the Ekopolis Foundation acts as an impartial expert evaluator, also considering the enthusiasm of applicants willing to dedicate their time and energy as volunteers to their projects. “We’ve been collaborating with the Ekopolis Foundation for nearly two decades to improve green infrastructure and biodiversity across Slovakia through the Green Oasis program. We’re pleased they’ve joined us for the local Good Neighbor grant program as well. We hope to receive more exciting project proposals from the surrounding city districts and Rovinka next year to enhance community life, giving us plenty to choose from again,” concludes Anton Molnár.