Combined Commitment of USD $800K will Support Domestic Hunger Relief and Global Healthcare Systems Serving Vulnerable Populations, Including Refugees and Migrants
The Western Union Foundation has announced a commitment of an additional USD $300,000 in the global fight against COVID-19, making the combined funds pledged by Western Union and the Western Union Foundation USD $800,000.
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The Western Union Foundation giving priorities have been updated to include strengthening healthcare systems around the globe that are serving some of the world’s most vulnerable populations, including refugees and migrants. Additionally, the Foundation will continue to support local and global nonprofit organizations providing access to essential services including hunger relief, medical training, education, supplies and equipment for frontline healthcare workers.
Major global non-governmental organizations to benefit from the giving include the UN Foundation COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Give2Asia, International Medical Corps and in the U.S. the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund.
In February, Western Union and the Western Union Foundation announced a one million dollar global matching challenge, with a commitment to match up to USD $500,000 in the fight against COVID-19 making personal, corporate, employee and Agent donations go further in this fight. The deadline for the global matching challenge has been extended through May 15.
“Working with Western Union Agents, customers and employees to make their dollars go further demonstrates the power of collaboration in supporting displaced and marginalized communities around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Elizabeth Roscoe, Global Head, Corporate Brand and Purpose, and Executive Director, Western Union Foundation. “We are humbled and eternally grateful for the commitment of all frontline workers who continue to show up each day to deliver essential services in these unprecedented times. They are the heroes of our time.”
The Western Union Foundation is focused on supporting marginalized and displaced communities, including migrants and refugees. These vulnerable populations are less likely to have access to the information, medical assistance and supplies needed to combat this virus. It is critical we work with partners that are supporting these individuals so the coronavirus can be both contained and treated, as well as respond to acute community needs like food insecurity brought on as a result of COVID-19.
Western Union and the Western Union Foundation are investing USD $800,000 – plus the proceeds raised from Agents, customers and employees during the global matching challenge – in nonprofits around the world that are responding to COVID-19 related issues. Outlined below are a few recent campaign highlights:
- Tony’s Charitable Foundation: The charitable arm of Tony’s Fresh Market, a Western Union Agent in Chicago, donated USD $50,000 to the global matching challenge fund. Their gift was matched by the Western Union Foundation for a total of $100,000 being directed to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund for essential services such as emergency food and healthcare supplies.
- Give2Asia: The Western Union Foundation committed to fund local response efforts during the coronavirus outbreak across the Asia-Pacific region to deliver critical medical supplies including hundreds of thousands of masks to protect health workers and at-risk populations, tens of thousands of liters of disinfectant for hospitals and meals for medical staff and patients.
- International Medical Corps: The Western Union Foundation committed to fund COVID-19 training for healthcare workers in the Philippines for infection prevention, control, and to prepare for a surge in cases; personal protective equipment, including gloves, goggles, gowns and hundreds of thousands of masks to the Manila Health Department for frontline healthcare workers safe; and set up of screening and triage tents at a hospital in Manila.
- UN Foundation COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund: A commitment of $100,000 to support the World Health Organization’s work to track and understand the spread of the virus, ensure patients get the care they need and frontline workers get essential supplies and information, and to accelerate research and development of a vaccine and treatments for all who need them.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of December 31, 2019, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering our branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2019, is available in over 75 countries, plus additional territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About the Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation believes that education is the surest pathway to economic opportunity. After nearly 20 years of impact, we are continuing to deliver against our mission with our Opportunity Beyond Borders commitment, with a focus on empowering forcibly displaced and marginalized youth with the training and education needed to succeed in today’s technology-driven global economy. The Foundation also provides funding to communities in crisis through disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts, a key reason for forced migration. To date, more than $125 million has been given to fund projects and scholarships in 174 countries across the globe. The Western Union Foundation is a separate charitable corporation that is tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code, and receives support from The Western Union Company, its employees, agents and business partners. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible for US income tax purposes. To learn more, visit wu.com/foundation or follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.
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