Today is World Food Day 2007

Spread the word & help feed the world.
www.worldfooddayusa.org

via US Food Policy (thanks!)

Yum!'s From Hunger to Hope

Yum! Brands has teamed up with the Friends of the World Food Program for World Hunger Relief Week.

Called "World Hunger Relief Week," the program supports the United Nations World Food Programme, the frontline agency in the fight against global hunger. During October 14-20, 35,000 company and franchised restaurants located in 112 countries will be participating in some way, including KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Food.

The campaign, which will run from October 14th through October 20th, will increase awareness about hunger, engage volunteers, and raise critically needed funds to help WFP serve the world's areas of greatest need.

"This unprecedented and innovative campaign brings together the public and private sector to address one of the most pressing issues of our time: the world's hunger crisis," said Friends of WFP President and CEO Karen Sendelback. "Hunger is a global concern and an issue that faces each of us no matter where we live and work. Through World Hunger Relief Week, we can all make a difference to stop world hunger."

There's more information and you can donate at the "From Hunger to Hope" web site that Yum! Brands has set up.

Sure, Yum! is using a global tragedy to promote their fast food chains, but it is an important concern that needs awareness.

UPDATE: KFC announced one way their participating today:

The KFC "Honks for Hunger Relief" Tour begins on the East Coast on Oct. 11. The KFC Colonel will be driving cross-country to raise money for World Hunger Relief Week.

Each time the Colonel encounters a motorist who signals support for hunger relief with a honk of the horn, he will add a buck to the KFC bucket. Every honk means another dollar donated by KFC. The Colonel hopes to raise tens of thousands of dollars during his road trip.

Also, the From Hunger to Hope blog pointed out in comments to this blog entry that "we're not trying to promote our food in any way with this effort." I'm glad Yum! is doing something to promote awareness about hunger, but I still fail to see how The Colonel driving cross country with signs and a car plastered with KFC logos isn't promoting their food, too.

Panera's Pink Ribbon bagel

Panera Bread is helping in the fight against breast cancer by offering a specially created ribbon-shaped bagel in more than 1,100 Panera Bread bakery-cafes during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

During the month of October Panera Bread and its franchisees will donate a portion of the proceeds from each Pink Ribbon Bagel sold at participating bakery-cafes to a variety of breast cancer causes, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization.

In 2006, nearly $200,000 was raised from Pink Ribbon Bagel sales and donations.

“Panera Bread is committed to serving the members of our local communities, many of whom have had their lives touched by breast cancer,” said Panera Bread CEO Ron Shaich. “We are honored to support a variety of organizations fighting to find a cure for breast cancer.”

Wendy's frosty coupons

10 free Frosty's from Wendy's for a $1 donation? Sound too good to be true. Maybe so, but Justin Hazen says it worked at his local Wendy's.

According to Justin's blog, when you're purchasing a meal at Wendy's and you're asked if you'd like to donate to their charity, fork over a $1 and they'll give you the coupon book (shown here) good for 10 free Jr. Frostys.

I haven't tried it yet, but if you have luck (or don't) let us know about it in the comment section.

By the way, the charity your dollar will be going to is the adoption foundation created by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, the Dave Thomas Adoption Foundation. Dave himself was adopted and was a fervent spokesperson for adoption during his lifetime.

Fast food industry generosity

It's been a good month for generosity in the fast food industry...

Taco Bell operators donate 10% of day’s sales to charity:

One hundred twenty-eight Taco Bell restaurants in the Northern California region participated in a one-day fundraiser Sept. 19 to benefit teen programs at local Boys & Girls Clubs. The "Taco Bell for Teens" Day awarded 10 percent of the day's proceeds, as well as a matching donation from the Taco Bell Foundation, to fund late-night recreation programs at the 12 local Boys & Girls Clubs.

Jack in the Box raises $275,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters:

The Jack in the Box Foundation held its annual charity golf tournament benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters and raised $275,000 for the non-profit organization, its primary charitable partner since 1998.

Carl's Jr. raises $300,000 for breast cancer:

Carl's Jr. announced last week that customers supporting an in-store restaurant fundraising program in May 2006 donated more than $300,00 for breast cancer awareness and support. During the month-long "Pink Star" charity promotion in May of this year, Carl's Jr. restaurant guests at nearly 1,000 locations across the western U.S. were encouraged to donate $1 to breast cancer when placing their order at the register. As a thank-you for the donation, these guests received a personalized pink Happy Star(TM) to put on display in the lobby and a coupon redeemable for a free beverage on a future visit. "We at Carl's Jr. are proud of our commitment to community involvement, and are pleased to see that commitment benefit others through this year's Pink Star breast cancer donation program," said president and chief executive officer Andrew F. Puzder.

via QSR Web

Please donate to help Katrina victims

Please donate what you can to help the victims of Hurrican Katrina:
American Red Cross
Catholic Charities