Yum! Brands' World Hunger Relief Raises Record-Breaking $24.5 Million in Donations to Help United Nations World Food Programme and Other Hunger Relief Agencies Provide More Than 98 Million Meals to Help End World Hunger

Yum! Brands' World Hunger Relief Raises Record-Breaking $24.5 Million in Donations to Help United Nations World Food Programme and Other Hunger Relief Agencies Provide More Than 98 Million Meals to Help End World Hunger

Nearly $85 Million Raised by World Hunger Relief over the Past Four Years

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yum! Brands' (NYSE: YUM) World Hunger Relief effort featuring global spokesperson and World Food Programme (WFP) Ambassador Against Hunger, Christina Aguilera, has created widespread awareness and deeper engagement to benefit United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and other hunger relief agencies.

World Hunger Relief is the world's largest private sector hunger relief effort, spanning 110 countries, 37,000 KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's and A&W All–American Food restaurants and more than one million employees and franchise associates. The fall campaign has raised more than $24.5 million in overall donations from employees and consumers for WFP and other hunger relief agencies.

"It is unacceptable that nearly 1 billion people around the world are going to bed hungry every day," said David Novak, Chairman and CEO, Yum! Brands, Inc. "In our quest to become The Defining Global Company that Feeds the World, we believe it is both our privilege and responsibility to make a difference in the lives of people who are at risk of starvation around the globe."

"I'm inspired by our employees, franchisees and their families who have raised even more awareness and funds, donated food and volunteered their time toward hunger relief," said Novak. "Through our efforts, we will purchase more than 98 million U.N. meals for starving people, and help them move from hunger to hope."

Officials from WFP, the world's largest humanitarian agency in the fight against hunger, are determining specifics on how and where funds will be used according to the organization's greatest needs. Every U.S. dollar raised will go directly towards WFP's operations to fight hunger worldwide, mostly to disaster relief and school meals programs. With just one U.S. dollar, WFP can provide meals to four hungry children at school.

Now in its fourth year, the Company's World Hunger Relief campaign has mobilized its employees, franchisees and consumers from around the globe. World Hunger Relief 2010 highlights include:

  • Christina Aguilera raised awareness of the hunger issue by appearing in new World Hunger Relief restaurant posters, including a never-seen-before photo of her in Haiti, with the quote, "Together, we have the power to save lives and go from hunger to hope." Aguilera also appeared in a global public service announcement where the multi-Grammy Award winning pop superstar sang Beautiful to raise money for hunger relief as well as online efforts, including the campaign's website, www.fromhungertohope.com.
  • Novak, Company presidents from Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Yum! Restaurants International and other senior executives and franchise leaders traveled to Nicaragua in August to see WFP's relief efforts in the country. In addition, Novak appeared in a new World Hunger Relief public service announcement calling for action in the fight against hunger. The PSA aired on high-profile business networks.
  • As an extension of its World Hunger Relief efforts, Yum! Brands Foundation is underwriting the "Muhammad Ali Center Peace Gardens" to teach children in underprivileged areas how to grow food with plants from different countries, feed themselves and others in need while embracing diverse cultures and nutrition. The Foundation is providing educational tools and materials including a free, downloadable curriculum guide translated into six languages and $100,000 in grants to build gardens in underprivileged schools around the world over the next four years. The initiative is in partnership with the Muhammad Ali Center and the National Gardening Association. More information is available at www.mypeacegarden.com, www.alicenter.org and www.garden.org.
  • Yum! sold World Hunger Relief merchandise for the first time on the campaign's website with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to WFP. Merchandise included special edition World Hunger Relief reusable Snack Happened™ snack bags from Itzy Ritzy®. Yum! also partnered with celebrity Ali Landry at a pre-Thanksgiving event at the Boys and Girls Club of Burbank, Calif., to raise awareness and funds for World Hunger Relief.
  • KFC U.S. converted restaurants in two cities into "World Hunger Relief Kitchens" and served food to people from local shelters. Pizza Hut U.S. partnered with MTV's The Buried Life to drive donations to WFP. Pizza Hut through its various efforts increased donations by over 90 percent compared to 2009. Taco Bell U.S. partnered with NBA legend Bill Walton to promote awareness of world hunger.
  • Outside the U.S., Yum! employees across the globe generated awareness and raised funds for World Hunger Relief through various initiatives. Yum! China engaged employees and consumers to donate, generating a 152 percent increase in donations from the previous year. KFC South Africa's "Add Hope" national campaign included a number of activities and competitions to encourage consumer participation and raise funds. KFC U.K. employees organized 145 events for World Hunger Relief, including hiking over 32,000 miles for hunger awareness. In Dubai, teams launched a "Battle of the Bands" as well as a cycling event from Dubai to Oman to raise money and awareness. In Singapore, team members organized a "Carnival for Hope" event. In Malaysia, KFC and Pizza Hut employees organized a "Be The Movement" charity walk with over 5,000 people in attendance.
  • More than one million employees and franchisees around the globe volunteered more than six million volunteer hours at hunger relief agencies, food banks and soup kitchens. Employees organized everything from car washes to auction sales to sponsored walks to bike races all to raise awareness and donations to support WFP and other hunger relief agencies.
  • Yum! generated the equivalent of nearly $50 million in awareness of the hunger issue through a PSA, advertising, public relations, web-based communications and in-restaurant posters. In addition, the Company leveraged the power of the Internet and social media to reach millions of people through the campaign's website, FromHungertoHope.com, and other online vehicles such as Facebook, Twitter and Google.

Since World Hunger Relief launched in 2007, more than one million of the Company's employees, franchisees and their families have volunteered more than 21 million hours to aid hunger relief efforts in communities worldwide. The effort has raised nearly $85 million for WFP and other hunger relief organizations and is helping to provide over 350 million meals and save the lives of millions of people in remote corners of the world.

At the Clinton Global Initiative in 2008, Yum! Brands was recognized for its hunger relief efforts. Over a five–year span, the Company pledged to: raise and donate at least $80 million to help WFP and others provide 200 million meals for hungry school children in developing countries; donate 20 million hours of hunger relief volunteer service in the communities in which it operates; donate $200 million worth of its prepared food to hunger agencies in the United States; and use the Company's marketing clout to generate awareness of the hunger problem, and convince others to become part of the solution.

Yum! is also addressing hunger across the U.S. through its Harvest program. Since its launch over a decade ago, Harvest (previously called YUMeals) has become the largest prepared-food donation program in the world. Through Harvest in 2009, the Company donated nearly 11 million pounds of wholesome food, with a fair market value of $60 million, to needy families and children. Since creation of the program, Yum! has donated over 125 million pounds of food, with a value of over $500 million, to those at risk of hunger. The Company also has been the primary sponsor of the Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville for nine years, and has donated nearly $8 million to this local agency.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 37,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries and territories. The company is ranked #216 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of nearly $11 billion in 2009. Four of the company's restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza, Mexican–style food categories and quick–service seafood categories. A&W Restaurants is the longest running quick–service franchise chain in America. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened more than four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The Company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder returns.

WFP is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.wfp.org.

###

Share This Page

Subscribe to our Newsletters