Case in point: The World Food Program's (WFP) Emergency School Feeding advocacy has so far provided school meals to nearly 80,000 grade schoolchildren in 300 schools in Central Mindanao. Yum Brands, through its World Hunger Relief campaign, has been supporting this WFP's program since 2007. Globally, the company has already contributed WFP around $60 million through its fund-raising efforts.
Here in the Philippines, Yum Brands' Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants were able to collect an upwards of P4.5 million from customers who either bought postcards worth P40 (so this group includes me) each or dropped their donations on WFP collection boxes on store counters during the two-month run of the World Hunger Relief project.
Quoting Pizza Hut, Inc. COO Lars Peterson, he said in a recent press release that "WFP is supporting the process of bringing children back to school after a long period of displacement due to conflict. By ensuring that nutritious hot meals are made available in schools, these children are able to complete their basic education. The Pizza Hut family is happy to do what we can to help."
In the same statement, Stephen Anderson, WFP Philippines country director and representative, for his part thanked Pizza Hut and Taco Bell "for their strong and consistent partnership and commitment that has greatly sustained WFP efforts in providing school meals to vulnerable children in Central Mindanao. This program enables them to complete their basic education, which is one of the first steps in overcoming poverty and hunger."
And as for me I will just say that "I'm grateful for the opportunity to help children this so-called 'simple gesture' has afforded me. It really feels good to help. I hope others would also do the same."
This postcard is autographed by Pizza Hut's celebrity endorser
and World Hunger Relief volunteer Diether Ocampo.
