(USA) Food companies including major meat processors and hunger relief groups are mobilizing to provide emergency aid to Haiti in the wake of the massive earthquake that has devastated the capital of Port-au-Prince.
The Red Cross now estimates as many as 50,000 people have died and 3 million are injured or homeless following Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude quake.
Among the companies pledging help:
- Tyson Foods is matching employee donations up to $100,000 for Haiti relief efforts. The contributions will go to the Salvation Army, which has personnel on-site and is preparing one million ready-to-eat meals to send to Haiti. Tyson also is exploring ways to provide in-kind relief to accountable organizations providing assistance in Haiti.
- Hormel Foods is matching employee donations up to $25,000 for relief efforts, with all contributions going to the American Red Cross.
- ConAgra Foods Foundation, a long-time Red Cross supporter, said it will give an additional $100,000 to the International Red Cross Relief Fund for aid to Haiti.
- Cargill is making an initial corporate donation of $50,000 to long-time Cargill partners CARE and the World Food Programme. In Minneapolis, Cargill volunteers at the company's headquarters will be packaging 20,000 meals on Jan. 18 for the nonprofit Kids Against Hunger, which will be sent directly to people in Haiti; Cargill volunteers will be packaging an additional 30,000 meals over the next month.
- McDonald's Corp. and its franchisee Arcos Dorados each will contribute $500,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross to be used for its disaster relief efforts. Arcos Dorados, which operates nearly 1,700 McDonald's restaurants in Latin America, said it expects to generate an additional $500,000 in funds by donating 50 cents for each Big Mac sandwich sold from Jan. 16-22.
- Yum Brands Inc., owner of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, said it is directing $500,000 to Haiti from its World Hunger Relief program launched in 2007. Yum Brands Foundation also will match Yum employee donations up to $500,000. Funds raised will go to the United Nations World Food Programme and other relief programs.
- The Walmart Foundation pledged $500,000 to Red Cross emergency relief efforts in Haiti and is sending pre-packaged food kits worth $100,000 to Haiti at the request of the Red Cross.
- Publix Super Markets Charities said it is donating $100,000 to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Haiti.
Relief organizations set up to accept online donations for emergency aid to Haiti include:
Photo: Carina Wint
Source: Meatingplace
