Text by: Kateřina Misiarzová
Every year at FINIDR, we are reminded of this fact. Not only because we can support projects and organizations that spread joy, education, and hope, but also thanks to the feedback we receive from those who benefit from our support. Their words of gratitude confirm that we are on the right path.
This year, we once again stood alongside schools, associations, and non-profit organizations that are changing the lives of children, young people, and entire families through their work. At the same time, we are involved in the long-term restoration of the Beskydy forests, where we are helping to plant thousands of new trees together with the Salamandr organization.
Representatives of these organizations have described to us how our help specifically benefits them – whether it is material support, enabling activities, or creating a safe environment for those who need it most. In this article, we have decided to highlight at least a few of them.
We are honored to be part of their stories and to contribute where it really matters.
Association for the Support of People with Mental Disabilities
We would like to thank you for your eleven years of support for the inter-city table tennis tournament for disabled youth. We have always found support from you, even in times when other sponsors turned their backs on us. We are proud that FINIDR, a world-renowned company, is our sponsor. We hope that the happy eyes of our grateful children will be your reward.
On behalf of SPMP Havířov, Bronislav Kotula, Vice-Chairman of the organization, would like to express his gratitude and wish you the best of luck in developing your company.
ADAM Autistic Children and Us, z.s.
At our organization, ADAM – Autistic Children and Us, z.s., we greatly appreciate the long-term support and friendly cooperation we receive from the FINIDR printing company. For eight years now, young people with autism spectrum disorder have had the opportunity to work part-time during the summer holidays.
Our temporary workers are involved in manual work and are always given a warm welcome. The fact that they are perceived as a full-fledged part of the team and that FINIDR employees create a safe and welcoming environment for them is a testament to the company’s genuine humanity and openness. It is therefore no surprise that our young people enjoy returning to the printing company every year – they feel confident, safe, and respected here.
This long-term cooperation has also resulted in the employment of Filip Pospěch, who found permanent employment at FINIDR after several summer jobs. This step is a symbol of hope for us – Filip’s example shows other families from ADAM that it is possible to overcome prejudices and give people with autism a chance.
The FINIDR printing company is thus setting an example for other companies that an open approach and mutual trust can lead to mutually enriching cooperation.
Not only that, FINIDR has taken its support even further and contributed financially to therapeutic activities for children with autism.
We are delighted to be working with such a stable, supportive, and exceptional partner who helps us fulfill our mission—to support families with children with autism and give them hope for a better future.
Thank you for being with us.
Marie Gerdová, Director of ADAM – Autistic Children and Us, z.s.
Kontešinec Elementary School and Preschool, Český Těšín
Allow me to thank FINIDR for the opportunity to receive a sponsorship donation. Our school received paper, which we use extensively both in school and in the after-school club. Thanks to you, many beautiful creations have been made, whether as individual or joint projects by our children across all subjects. The children also use the paper for drawing during breaks or for cutting out and making origami. Once again, thank you very much, and I wish you the same joy that our children have thanks to you.
Mgr. Pavlína Vémolová, class teacher 2. A
Ostravská Elementary School, Český Těšín
Our motto is: “You can never have enough paper.”
Donated paper is distributed among Ostravská Elementary School, Slezská Elementary School, and the after-school club. The paper is used by teachers in the first grade, mainly in art classes and for crafts. Secondary school teachers also use it for project days, in personal and social development classes, in art classes, during theme days, etc. Children like to draw on paper during breaks, so it is freely available in the classroom and they can use it to pass the time if they don’t want to run around the hallway or get into mischief. The after-school club uses the paper mainly for drawing and origami because it is soft and bends well.
So once again, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Mgr. Kateřina Matuszková, class teacher 1. A
Albrecht Secondary School
Together we are shaping the future of printing
For more than three decades, FINIDR has been synonymous with quality, reliability, and a passion for books. As one of the most important book producers in Central Europe, FINIDR combines modern technology with respect for craftsmanship—while looking to the future, which it is shaping together with a young generation of printers.
A key partner on this journey is Albrecht Secondary School in Český Těšín. The collaboration, which began in 2008 with the launch of the Polygraphy program, has gradually evolved into a stable and inspiring partnership.
Thanks to the professional assistance of the printing company, the participation of its employees in teaching, and the opportunities for internships and excursions, students gain not only theoretical knowledge but also experience from a top-class printing environment.
FINIDR not only prints books but also helps write the stories of a new generation of experts who will continue to develop the tradition of Czech printing.
Mgr. Pavel Cieslar, MBA, school director
ČSOP SALAMANDR
5 years and 5 interesting facts about FINIDR trees
Five years of cooperation, hundreds of volunteer hours, and 60,000 trees planted in the Beskydy Mountains—these are the results of FINIDR’s partnership with the non-profit organization ČSOP Salamandr. If it were just planting in a normal commercial forest, it wouldn’t be that much, but in this case, it represents a large part of a more diverse forest. Why?
1. We plant what is missing. Mainly fir trees, because they have disappeared most from the local mountains, but also beech and maple trees. They grew from seeds collected in the most valuable parts of the Beskydy Mountains.
2. We plant “slow-growing” trees. In a small forest nursery in Košařiska, seedlings are grown for longer than usual and in conditions that better mimic their natural environment. They are then much better adapted to the mountains.
3. We plant differently – in clusters. Groups of 10 or 15 seedlings are at least somewhat similar to how a forest is created in nature. The trees then help and protect each other.
4. We plant differently – under trees. Together with foresters, we select smaller open areas in mature forests. These are areas where other management practices have been agreed upon so that the trees are not destroyed later. When the surrounding forest begins to regenerate over time, these trees will already be growing there.
5. We plant where it is difficult. Mostly inaccessible places, steep slopes, lots of rocks… Volunteers know what we are talking about. Over the past five years, dozens of FINIDR employees have been involved in the areas around the villages of Guty, Tyra, Řeka, and Morávka.
We are helping to create a different forest, one that is much more diverse and resilient. Over time, it will vary in age, height, and density. This unusual planting style has helped improve dozens of hectares of Beskydy forests. It has also created habitats for rare animals, such as capercaillies. Some of them are already starting to like it there. Thank you all on their behalf.
Vojtěch Bajer, ČSOP Salamandr
The whole of Czechia reads to children
Dear Finidr workers,
The organization The whole of Czechia reads to children will soon celebrate 20 years since its inception. Throughout this time, our educational and media activities have been aimed at a single goal – to remind parents and all adults in a child’s immediate environment that reading is the basis for healthy emotional development.
FINIDR has been the main partner of Celé Česko čte dětem (The Whole Czechia Reads to Children) almost since its inception. Printing presentation materials is essential to our activities because it allows us to effectively inform the general public about everything we do. We regularly distribute presentation materials to schools, kindergartens, libraries, and other institutions. This allows information about our activities to reach the widest possible audience.
Allow me to express my heartfelt thanks to the managing director and owner, Jaroslav Drahoš, and the entire FINIDR team. Thanks to your long-term support, which we greatly appreciate, we are able to carry out meaningful projects throughout the Czech Republic.
The Whole Czechia Reads to Children initiative is a 21st-century initiative. At a time when smartphones, apps, and social media dominate the world of children, our company’s activities and projects are more important than ever.
According to surveys (National Library of the Czech Republic and Institute of Czech Literature of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 2023), The Whole Czechia Reads to Children ranked among the top activities promoting reading in our country. This is a huge success for us – and at the same time a commitment for the future.
THANK YOU!
On behalf of the Czechia Reads to Children team Eva Katrušáková, founder and director
ČTEFEST (Reading Festival)
The fifth edition of the festival crossed borders both literally and figuratively
This year, I feel the strongest connection with the libraries in Český Těšín and Biblioteka in Cieszyn, thanks to which our festival has grown again and was able to offer participants a richer program and new interesting venues. This year, we managed to choose great places for meetings and events. This is where I feel our strength. For example, the Danelow Quartet concert on the terrace of the Avion café, slam poetry on the roof of the Sting building, or Jaroslav Rudiš’s reading at the train station in Třinec. It is precisely this connection between libraries, cities, and guests that is the added value of ČteFesT. I look forward to seeing what new things we will come up with together next year and where we will meet.
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to more shared experiences!
Marika Zadembská, Festival Director
