Today The Western Union Company and The Western Union Foundation
introduced Our World, Our Family, a $50 million, five-year initiative
to empower migrant families through education and global economic
opportunity programs that help them stay connected, overcome barriers,
and realize their dreams.
The Western Union Company and the Western Union Foundation also
announced that MercyCorps, a global humanitarian organization, has
been selected as the first Our World, Our Family partner.
As the company approaches its first anniversary as an independent,
publicly held company, Western Union has worked to build on its
history of giving. With this commitment, Western Union is realigning
its corporate and charitable investments and resources to focus on
education and economic opportunity issues important to the company's
consumers, in an effort to amplify the company's positive impact in
communities around the world.
Our World, Our Family will help leverage the impact of
remittances, one of the world's most powerful forces for economic
development.
"Education and economic opportunity means providing people around
the world with the tools to succeed," said Christina Gold, president
and CEO, Western Union. "We take great pride in our commitment to
helping families stay connected, and we strongly believe in making
migration an option, not a necessity. With Our World, Our Family, we
will help open doors to new opportunities supporting global citizens
on their journey to a better life."
Our World, Our Family is framed around four pillars designed to
empower individuals and families.
Our World Gives will engage consumers and Western Union Agents to
allow community members, Western Union employees and Agents to pool
their funds to support social issues they care about most.
Our World Learns applies Western Union's intimate understanding of
migrant populations to advance education with family scholarships to
address the educational needs of multiple generations. The program
includes "learning packs" that boost language, family connectedness
and personal finance skills.
Our World Strives includes a new volunteer mentor corps that
provides entrepreneurial and personal finance support at community
centers and selected Agent locations, and a new online Website and
Agent-based kiosks that will feature small business support and allow
customers to track their remittances, money management and savings
goals.
Our World Speaks will engage global leaders in a new dialogue to
encourage an inclusive approach to economic development and issues
that impact migrant communities.
With MercyCorps, Western Union is piloting Our World, Our Family
in four countries: the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, the
United States and Guatemala.
"Western Union plays a central role in the lives of people around
the world, and its reach creates an opportunity to enhance economic
opportunity on a massive scale," noted MercyCorps CEO Neal Keny-Guyer.
"For every dollar spent to increase economic equality, it is estimated
that seven dollars are saved by avoiding the terrible consequences of
poverty. We look forward to working with Western Union in fostering
economic growth through critical new learning tools."
Our World, Our Family will be led jointly by the Western Union
Foundation and The Western Union Company. The company's $50 million
initiative over five years is a commitment to continue Western Union's
historical giving program. The funding is expected to consist of
direct contribution and investment to support Our World, Our Family
together with contributions to the Western Union Foundation and other
company-supported initiatives.
About MercyCorps
MercyCorps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and
instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against
nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, MercyCorps has provided $1.3
billion in assistance to people in 100 nations. For more information,
visit www.mercycorps.org.
About the Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation began in 2000 as a philanthropic
organization to facilitate charitable giving programs worldwide.
Through the donations of The Western Union Company, its employees and
Agents, the Foundation helps to fund programs that enhance the quality
of life for those most in need around the world. Since 2001, the
Western Union Foundation, in collaboration with Western Union Agents
and employees, has granted nearly $40 million to more than 1,500
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 70 countries around the globe
to support humanitarian projects. In addition, the Foundation has
supported more than 50 disaster-relief operations and has funded
education and human services programs. For more information, visit
www.westernunion.com/foundation.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leading provider of
global money transfer services. Together with its affiliates, Orlandi
Valuta and Vigo, Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable
and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as
well as send payments and purchase money orders. It operates through a
network of approximately 312,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries
and territories. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
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