IKEA US Community Foundation Donates To AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund

Statement

Governor Doug Ducey today announced the IKEA US Community Foundation has donated $1,147,083 to the AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund, supporting Arizona families, medical professionals and those in need.

The amount was chosen by the foundation purposely to align with the amount IKEA employees in Arizona collected in unemployment insurance benefits when the company closed stores and furloughed employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Arizona is proud to have responsible, exemplary corporate citizens throughout the state like IKEA," said Governor Ducey. "The IKEA US Community Foundation's support to the relief fund and to its employees will impact our communities for the better and help Arizonans in need during the pandemic. Thank you to IKEA for the generous donation to the AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund."

"We are appreciative of the ongoing support from the state of Arizona, including the unemployment funds paid to our co-workers who were furloughed in the early weeks of the pandemic," said IKEA Retail U.S. President Javier Quiñones. "People are the heart of our business, and the state unemployment benefits helped IKEA US co-workers during a difficult time. We now have a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, and we've decided to "pay it forward' to support the ongoing COVID relief efforts in our local communities."

To date, the fund has received more than $8.6 million in donations, which is being used to mitigate the medical, financial and social impacts of COVID-19 in Arizona. More than $7.8 million has been distributed to various agencies across the state, including food banks, homeless shelters, senior living centers, foster care organizations and other agencies that serve Arizona's most vulnerable populations.

The Governor established the AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund as part of the Arizona Together initiative, connecting individuals and businesses to resources, raising money for community organizations and providing information on volunteer opportunities.

Individuals and organizations interested in supporting the AZ Coronavirus Relief Fund can learn more about how to contribute at ArizonaTogether.org. Arizona Together also highlights organizations, businesses and individuals stepping up to help one another and provide support wherever needed. Stories about Arizonans helping frontline workers, vulnerable populations and businesses in need of support can be found at ArizonaTogether.org/thearizonaway.

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