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PepsiCo’s International Response
As the effects of COVID-19 continue to be felt, more healthcare systems around the world need proper funding to assist the healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic. In response, PepsiCo expanded their efforts to provide humanitarian relief to impacted communities around the world.
In Europe, where entire countries are on lockdown and many hospitals are over capacity, PepsiCo aims to support local health and relief systems in hardest-hit areas. The company has donated $5 million to organizations in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Transcaucasia, and Turkey to support healthcare providers and provide more than 1 million servings of food for those in need and has given $2.5 million to charitable organizations across Europe through the U.N. Foundation. PepsiCo has also donated $600,000 to the Red Cross in Italy, Spain and France to fund personal protection equipment (PPE) and health equipment for medical responders, urgent health transportation for affected citizens, logistical support for health facilities, and essential goods for those unable to leave their homes due to quarantine. Further donations in Europe include a $500,000 grant to Spanish nonprofit Educo’s “Dining Scholarships” program, a $200,000 grant to Banco Alimentar Contra A Fome in Portugal to provide close to 750,000 meals for those in need, and $140,000 to the Belgium and Netherland Red Cross outposts to support the “Watch Out for Each Other” network that links volunteers to those in need of mental and practical support.
As Latin America is expected to see an increase in COVID-19 cases, PepsiCo is helping the region prepare by strengthening their local food bank capabilities. Through this effort, PepsiCo is providing more than 10 million meals in Mexico for out of school children and their families through nonprofits Un Kilo De Ayuda and Save the Children, and is providing more than 800,000 additional meals in Honduras, El Salvador, and Venezuela with nonprofits Rise Against Hunger and United Way. Additionally, the company has donated $1.5 million to The Global FoodBanking Network to allow food banks in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Guatemala, Chile, Peru, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Uruguay to stock up on key food staples, as well as train staff on how to reduce COVID-19 transmission.
PepsiCo is also investing in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, focusing specifically on meal distribution and healthcare. They have donated more than 40 million meals in Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, and South Africa in partnership with local food banks and leading nonprofit partners. PepsiCo has also joined forces with the Akshaya Patra Foundation, the Smile Foundation and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics to provide more than 10 million meals and 25,000 COVID-19 testing kits in India. Further, the company has provided $1.6 million dollars in funding to Vietnam and the Philippines to initiate Vietnam’s “Millions of Meals” program, provide meals and medical supplies for citizens with the Vietnam Youth Union and the Vietnam Young Physician Association, and deliver assistance to over 7.6 million people in the Manila metro area with a $500,000 grant to Project Ugnayan. In Australia and New Zealand, PepsiCo has committed more than $600,000 to deliver more than 1 million meals with Foodbank Australia and the Salvation Army Foodbank Project. As part of their work supporting healthcare systems, PepsiCo has donated over $280,000 to Tkiyet Um Ali’s Hospital Programs in Jordan and $100,000 to Lebanon’s Red Cross. Lastly, PepsiCo has provided $1.1 million to The Hubei Red Cross and the China Women’s Development Foundation to fund protective gear for healthcare workers in China and South Korea.
PepsiCo continues to expand its global effort to provide monetary support and necessities to communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please click here.