BNY Mellon, the global leader in investment management and investment services, has launched a global initiative to raise awareness of issues related to food security and waste through a series of nearly 100 employee volunteer events that will be held around the world before, during and after World Food Day on October 16.
Conceived of and organized by employees, the events range from rescuing food from greenmarkets in New York City and conducting food drives in London, to serving meals to people facing homelessness in Tokyo and preparing food for HIV patients in Maharashtra, India. The events are part of BNY Mellon's Community Partnership program, where employees are encouraged to volunteer with and contribute to a wide range of organizations and receive company matching contributions and time off for their efforts.
"More than 850 million people in the world don't have enough to eat, and a staggering amount of food is lost or wasted at almost every point in the food chain. Unfortunately, no country or region is immune," said R. Jeep Bryant, executive vice president for marketing and corporate affairs. "BNY Mellon's philanthropic focus is on improving local communities by partnering with organizations that provide for basic needs. Hunger is an issue our employees have supported through ongoing volunteer and donation efforts and this global initiative responds to their commitment and desire to do even more."
Last year alone, BNY Mellon and its employees contributed more than $1.2 million, the equivalent of 6 million meals to food related charities around the world.
BNY Mellon employees will also be partnering with Canstruction, an international nonprofit, to build giant structures out of canned food in five of its largest cities. The structures, which together will be built from approximately 17,000 cans of food, were chosen to spotlight different issues related to food insecurity - an apple (Boston), rice bowl (Hong Kong), fish (London), apple tree (New York) and globe (Pittsburgh). All the food items used to build them will be donated to local food banks. BNY Mellon expects its structures to contribute more than 12,000 pounds of food and help its community partners provide more than 9,000 meals to people who are hungry.
The 2013 global theme for World Food Day is "Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition."
Established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1979, World Food Day offers the opportunity to strengthen national and international solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Every year on October 16, organizations around the world mobilize advocacy campaigns and events to strengthen the political will to end hunger.
