ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- (Business Wire)
On International Corporate Philanthropy Day, the Western Union Company
(NYSE:WU) and The Western Union Foundation are celebrating the success
of Western Union’s Our World, Our Family®program.
Launched in 2007, the program committed $50 million over five years to
promote economic opportunity and help families stay connected, overcome
barriers, and realize their dreams. A new
report details the program’s impact, including having:
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Reached five million people in 70 countries
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Provided education tools, including scholarships, to one million
students
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Offered integration support to nearly 270,000 global migrants
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Supported 455,000 entrepreneurs with loans and business training
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Provided financial literacy resources and training to more than
550,000 people
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Delivered disaster relief and recovery support to 900,000 people
“Our business is a positive force for growth, helping people send money
to loved ones and business partners in 200 countries and territories,”
said Luella Chavez D’Angelo, chief communications officer, Western
Union. “The Our World, Our Family program has helped us focus our
business and our giving together for an even greater impact on consumers
and their communities. I believe our passion for our customers sets us
apart, and I am very proud of what we have accomplished.”
The Clinton
Global Initiative recognized the Our World, Our Family
program as a commitment on-stage at its 2008 Annual Meeting and CECP
honored the program with its prestigious Excellence Award in 2009. The
award jury noted that Western Union was, “brave for taking on a complex
social issue [migration], and for leveraging its extensive network to
make far-reaching and sustainable impact.” Western Union services,
including an expanding product portfolio, are available via almost a
half million Agent locations, call centers, mobile, and a growing online
presence.
“Western Union, through the Our World, Our Family program,
provides a remarkable example of how effective corporate philanthropy
can be when it aligns with the core business,” said Margaret Coady,
executive director, CECP. “It’s easy to underestimate the tremendous
commitment it takes from a company and its partners for an initiative to
accomplish what it set out to do. It’s fitting to announce the program’s
remarkable impact on International Corporate Philanthropy Day.”
The Our World, Our Family program rallied key stakeholders, with
as much as 57 percent of employees annually donating to support the
program and volunteering tens of thousands of hours for nonprofits
worldwide. More than 350 Western Union® Agents, who live and
work in the communities the company serves, also rolled up their sleeves
to make a difference.
Through strategic relationships with organizations such as Mercy
Corps, the United
Nations and USAID,
the Our World, Our Family program helped educate tens of
thousands of students to join the workforce, create jobs via small
business assistance, and prepared workers to convert wages to wealth via
financial literacy training. It also helped rebuild lives and
livelihoods following 62 disasters around the world.
“Western Union’s business is evolving to meet changing market needs, and
our social programs must evolve as well,” said Patrick Gaston,
president, The
Western Union Foundation. “Few issues matter more to our consumers
than ensuring the success of the next generation. The past five years
have shown us that education is one of the surest paths to a better
future. We are leveraging our learnings from the Our World, Our Family
program as we implement our next big community commitment – Education
for Better.”
Announced at the UN
General Assembly in September 2012, Education
for Better is a three-year commitment to help meet global
educational goals through grants, cause marketing, advocacy, employee
engagement, and products that facilitate education. The program includes
a commitment of $10,000 per day for more than 1,000 days to help advance
educational goals, with a focus on secondary and vocational training.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment
services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western
Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union
provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient
ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to
purchase money orders. As of December 31 2012, the Western Union, Vigo
and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined
network of approximately 510,000 agent locations in 200 countries and
territories. In 2012, The Western Union Company completed 231 million
consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $79 billion of
principal between consumers, and 432 million business payments. For more
information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About the Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world,
where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not
just a privilege for the few but a right for all. With the support of
The Western Union Company, its employees, Agents, and business partners,
The Western Union Foundation works to realize this vision by supporting
education and disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a better
future. Our combined social ventures efforts make life better for
individuals, families and communities around the world. Since 2001, The
Western Union Foundation has committed more than $85.2 million in grants
and other giving to more than 2,591 nongovernmental organizations in
more than 130 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org.
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Contacts:
Western Union
Kelly Behm, +1-720-332-1269
kelly.behm@westernunion.com
Source: Western Union
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