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Wendy's pledges more than $275K to worldwide organizations

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August 27, 2021

The Wendy's Company is pledging nearly $280,000 in charitable donations to a variety of organizations worldwide that align with Wendy's core categories of charitable support: foster care adoption, hunger and food integrity, youth and families, and vibrant communities.

These commitments are a continuation of Wendy's Community Giving Program that started in 2020, according to a press release.

"Wendy's believes in doing the right thing in the communities where we live and work, so we're proud to not only continue our giving program in 2021 but also increase our charitable contributions," Liliana Esposito, Wendy's chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer, said in the release. "It's also very fulfilling to know that we're contributing direct support to organizations and causes that are important to our employees."

Charitable contributions include:

$100,000 donation over four years to Mid-Ohio Food Collective to support its Rooted in You campaign to re-imagine ending hunger. MOFC serves 20 counties in Ohio and is one of the largest food banks in the United States.
$50,000 donation to Columbus Urban League for programming focused on workforce development and opportunity creation, including the continuation of Wendy's Workforce Institute — a paid training experience for young adults in the Central Ohio community.
$50,000 donation to YWCA Columbus to support YWCA Kids Place and educational programming, including scholarship opportunities for high-quality youth development summer camp and after-school programs.
Nearly $50,000 to various organizations throughout Wendy's global restaurant footprint through its Community Giving Program. Company employees could request financial support for a charitable organization in the general range of $2,500 to $10,000. Nine organizations were selected to receive a grant:
- All People's Church Food Hub – Ontario, Canada.
- Alvis – Columbus, Ohio.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern New Jersey – Asbury Park, New Jersey.
- Casa Valentina – Miami, Florida.
- Communities in Schools of Jacksonville – Jacksonville, Florida.
- Hillcrest Hope – Liberty, Missouri.
- My Project USA – Columbus, Ohio.
- MyUmbrella – Berkshire, United Kingdom.
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida – Orlando, Florida.
$30,000 in grants for Wendy's six Employee Resource Groups to jumpstart sustainable partnerships with organizations that support each ERG's mission. Wendy's ERGs support company employees and help create opportunities for learning, inclusion, career growth and leadership development. Each ERG was eligible to apply for a grant and the recipients include:
- Central Community House – Columbus, Ohio.
- Kaleidoscope Youth Center – Columbus, Ohio.
- National Veterans Memorial and Museum – Columbus, Ohio.
- Son of a Saint – New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Star House – Columbus, Ohio.
- Wounded Warrior Project – Jacksonville, Florida.
- Zora's House – Columbus, Ohio.