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The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Iraq is more than a crisis of food and shelter, it is a “crisis of spirit” that requires urgent action from the international community, the Deputy United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq said today.

Briefing reporters in New York via video-link from Erbil, Kevin Kennedy said that currently there are some 1.8 million people displaced in the country, mostly in Kurdistan and Anbar Province.

Over 860,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have arrived from Anbar, Mosul and Sinjar in the last several months as the situation has deteriorated in all those regions, he noted.

In August alone, 650,000 people arrived in Kurdistan seeking shelter, security and safety. Many of them have been staying with friends and relatives. Most of the refugees arriving now are seeking shelter in schools. This has caused the start of the school year to be delayed for months, Mr. Kennedy said, adding that it is uncertain when schools will reopen.

The IDPs are also dispersed, with about 400,000 of them in Anbar Province, which is not controlled by Iraqi Government forces. On top of that, Iraq is also hosting some 220,000 Syrian refugees and another one million people displaced since the start of the 2003 war.

“The people who are here came here to seek refuge. They are very traumatized having seen things they did not want to see,” said Mr. Kennedy, recalling a recent visit to Tikrit, where he met an elderly man who said that he could not account for his 41 family members.

Challenges persist and continue to grow, Mr. Kennedy said, outlining three main challenges facing relief agencies on the ground. The first challenge is access. It is very difficult to reach the close to half a million people in need of support in Anbar Province.

The second big challenge is shelter, he continued. There are 800,000 IDPs in the Kurdistan region, and about 390,000 are estimated to be in need of shelter and currently living in schools, under bridges or out in the open, in very bad conditions. Camps are being built and will accommodate 220,000 which will leave a shelter gap for about 170,000 people.

“We still have a gap which will be significant and must be closed in a few weeks,” he said, noting that winter is fast approaching.

The third main concern is the upcoming winter, when temperatures can get down to negative 16 degrees Celsius. “There’s rain, snow and wind, and our fear is that unless we can provide the shelter, this massive humanitarian emergency will turn into a deadly, life threatening situation for many,” said Mr. Kennedy.

Last week, the Government and the UN agreed on a joint plan to provide refugees with shelter, food, and sanitation in the coming weeks.

He commended the “generosity, hospitality and humanity” of the people in different areas who have taken in the displaced. At the same time, he expressed concern about how long host communities could continue to take in refugees before they themselves became overwhelmed.

UN agencies and partners are continuing with their efforts on the ground, distributing food, medicines and building camps. The World Food Programme (WPF) is feeding 1 million people every month. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is taking care of building shelters, while the World Health Organization (WHO) is providing medicine and other supplies.

Mr. Kennedy said that what is needed is a massive effort with a sustained sense of urgency, noting that while the security situation in Iraq and the region has captured global attention, the humanitarian situation deserves equal attention.

ROME Italy, 2 October 2014 – ‘Voices of Children in Emergencies’, a joint campaign of the EU and UNICEF for children in emergencies was introduced to EU member states in Rome today during an informal meeting of the working group on humanitarian assistance of the EU Council. The ceremony was hosted by the Italian EU Presidency, taking place at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation.

“To date, 8 million European citizens have shared the voices of these children through their own digital networks. The campaign has already reached over 143 million people through other media, which exceeds all our expectations” commented Mr. Philippe Cori, Director, UNICEF Brussels EU Office, who attended the ceremony.

Commenting on the EU perspective, Claus Sorensen, Director General of the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) said: “The EU and UNICEF have become strategic global partners in providing humanitarian aid. Yet, in order to maintain this life-saving collaboration, we must invest in keeping the strong support we currently enjoy from the EU public. That is why I am thrilled by the outstanding success of this campaign”.

The ceremony’s host, Mr. Giampaolo Cantini, Director General for Development Cooperation, added: “The ‘Voices of Children’ should be the ‘voices of innocence’ and not the ‘voices of war’. The EU-UNICEF Campaign presents the atrocity of war, through the stories of boys and girls suffering all kind of brutality. We must protect them and stop the violence, which is threatening the future of an entire generation.”

Background
The ‘Voices of Children in Emergencies’ campaign gives children affected by natural disasters and conflict the opportunity to express themselves and to tell their stories to a global audience. Amplified through national celebrities and brought to the public across six dedicated websites, social networks and traditional media, the public could amplify the ‘voices of children’ by ‘lending’ their facebook profiles to one of the children of the campaign.

The campaign, launched on 15 May 2014, was implemented in partnership with UNICEF, the European Commission and six European UNICEF National Committees (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain) and their Goodwill Ambassadors.

The special focus of the campaign rests on three children: Aya (from Syria), Michel (from the Philippines) and Chamsia (from Chad) where the EU and UNICEF partner in bringing much needed humanitarian relief. The main campaign videos start with the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, reciting part of the child’s story that she/he has been teamed up with.

European celebrities such as Ewan McGregor (United Kingdom), Gaia Amaral (Italy), Pau Gasol (Spain), Imanol Arias (Spain), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Evanna Lynch (Ireland), Boštjan Nachbar (Slovenia), and Pavlos Tsimas (Greece) have been actively involved in the campaign, promoting the children’s stories. Citizens worldwide have been sharing those stories through their own social media networks, in support of those children’s brave struggles.

Visit www.voicesofchildren.eu and lend your voice!

About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

To know more about the EU-UNICEF Partnership for Children visit www.unicef.org/eu/

About the European Union
The European Commission funds relief operations for victims of natural disasters and conflicts around the world. The Commission’s assistance relies on the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. The European Commission is among UNICEF’s largest humanitarian donors. In 2013 alone, it provided almost €100 million for UNICEF projects to help children.

The EU has been working closely with UNICEF for over 20 years to extend immediate assistance to children and women affected by humanitarian crises. The strong partnership has benefitted millions in over 55 countries with nutrition, healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene services, child protection in emergencies, cash transfers, education, disaster risk reduction, preparedness and resilience building.

CINCINNATI, The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that it has donated more than 50 million pounds of fresh meat, produce, dairy and bakery items to local Feeding America food banks in 2013 through its groundbreaking Perishable Donations Partnership. That is enough bread, meat, cheese and produce to lay 3,700 miles of Kroger’s classic deli sandwiches side-by-side from Washington, D.C. through Houston to southern Oregon.
This also equates to more than 25,000 tons of perishable food waste diverted away from landfills and incinerators last year.

Coinciding with Hunger Action Month, Feeding America’s month-long campaign to inspire individuals to take action to help end hunger in their communities, Kroger is raising awareness about food insecurity with customers and associates throughout September through social media, store signage and more.

Perishable Donations Partnership
Kroger’s Fred Meyer division pioneered the Perishable Donations Partnership about ten years ago. Stores partnered with local food banks in the Pacific Northwest to collect fresh food and properly store it so it could be quickly shipped to reach hungry families. Kroger adopted Fred Meyer’s model and worked with Feeding America to develop food safety and quality control standards, and trained associates to facilitate the program in their stores.

Scaled across Kroger’s family of stores beginning in 2008, Kroger’s Perishable Donations Partnership program depends on store associates taking the time every day to identify meat, produce, dairy and bakery items that can no longer be sold yet remain safe, fresh and nutritious complements to dry goods donations to food banks.

“Our associates bring our Perishable Donations Program to life,” said Lynn Marmer, Kroger’s group vice president of corporate affairs. “Every day in our stores, individual associates rescue healthy, nutritious fruits, vegetables and proteins to be quickly distributed to feed hungry families through Feeding America’s network of food banks.”

As a founding partner of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger agency, Kroger has been engaged in the hunger relief effort for more than 30 years. Today, the Kroger family of stores has longstanding relationships with more than 100 local food banks. The company’s total contribution to food banks exceeds 200 million meals annually – or four million meals every week – when combining perishable foods, dry goods, and funds.

For more on Kroger’s year-round effort to alleviate hunger, please visit www.BringingHopeToTheTable.com.

Kroger, one of the world’s largest retailers, employs more than 375,000 associates who serve customers in 2,640 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The company also operates 786 convenience stores, 320 fine jewelry stores, 1,240 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and grassroots organizations.

BENTONVILLE, Ark., – Today, the Walmart Foundation launches Fight Hunger. Spark Change., a nationwide campaign calling on the public to get involved in the fight against hunger. The campaign will provide $3.7 million in grants to participating Feeding America food banks and local partner agencies that provide hunger relief to millions of people in need of food assistance. As part of the initiative, Walmart is teaming up with acclaimed chef, cookbook author and TV host, G. Garvin, and calling on the public to support their local food banks by voting online at www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

The initiative launches during a critical time in our nation when food banks are facing a growing need for donations due to historically high rates of food insecurity. Feeding America recently released its Hunger in America 2014 report showing that in a single year one in seven Americans, including 12 million children, turn to the Feeding America food bank network for food assistance. To help Feeding America meet this need, Walmart is teaming up with six of the nation’s largest food companies – including General Mills, Unilever, Hormel, ConAgra Foods, PepsiCo/Quaker and Kellogg Company – to support food banks and local partner agencies across the country.

“Hunger remains a serious issue in our country as millions of Americans don’t know where their next meal will come from. By engaging our associates, customers and suppliers in the fight against hunger, we can make a positive impact on this issue and ensure families have access to the healthier and nutritious food they need,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and senior vice president of Walmart Sustainability. “Through this initiative, we’re giving everyone in America the opportunity to make a difference by simply voting online for their local food bank.”

From September 15 through October 5, customers can visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger to cast one vote per day that will help direct grants to participating Feeding America food banks and local partner agencies across the country. The 50 winning food banks will each receive a $60,000 grant. The campaign also provides information on how customers can donate or volunteer to take a direct action in the fight against hunger in their local communities.
“One of my biggest passions as a chef is showing people how simple it can be to make healthy and delicious meals for their families,” said Chef Garvin. “Walmart’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is making it simple and fun for the public to get involved and will help ensure all families have access to the healthy and nutritious food they need. I could not be more proud to support a cause that matters so much to so many.”

Through the initiative, the monetary equivalent of more than 37 million meals¹ will be donated to Feeding America food banks and local agencies throughout the United States.

“At Feeding America, we believe no one in America should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from so we are proud to continue our partnership with Walmart to help make this vision a reality,” said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. “Through this initiative, Walmart, along with its associates, customers and suppliers will make a lasting impact in helping to reduce hunger in America.”

As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is in a unique leadership position to impact the issue of hunger in the United States and joining with customers, suppliers, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations will only help magnify its efforts.

The Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is just one step towards Walmart’s larger commitment to provide meals to those in need, and give more people access to nutrition education. As part of that commitment, Walmart is also working to ensure the food donated is fresh and a healthy alternative.

To participate in the voting campaign, learn more about the program, including details on participating products, visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

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About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts that draw on the strengths of Walmart in the arenas of sustainability, economic opportunity, and community. As part of our commitment to creating a more sustainable food system worldwide, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States. They recently exceeded a $2 billion commitment to fight hunger one year ahead of schedule and have donated more than 1.5 billion pounds of food to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit www.foundation.walmart.com.

The Dallas Museum of Art today announced that they have received funding from Bank of America to restore the Wittgenstein silver display case, or vitrine, through the bank’s 2014 global Art Conservation Project. Since the program’s inception in 2010, Bank of America has provided grants to museums in 27 countries supporting 72 conservation projects.

The silver and gem-studded vitrine is the most lavish piece of silverwork known from the Wiener Werkstätte (or Vienna Workshops), a guild of artists and craftsmen practicing in Austria in the early 20th century. Designed by Carl Otto Czeschka and presented at the 1908 Vienna Art Show, this vitrine marks a crucial time in the evolution of modern design. Acquired by the Dallas Museum of Art last year, it is one of their most important pieces. Fran Baas, associate conservator of objects, working in close collaboration with Kevin W. Tucker, the Margot B. Perot senior curator of decorative arts and design at the Dallas Museum of Art and Mark Leonard, chief conservator, is currently carrying out the restoration and technical study of this unique masterpiece of decorative design and craftsmanship. The grant from Bank of America is fully funding the restoration of the piece, which is the centerpiece of the upcoming “Modern Opulence in Vienna: The Wittgenstein Vitrine” exhibition. The exhibition is scheduled to open on November 15 in the DMA’s Conservation Gallery, after a special media preview on November 13.

“We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for the inclusion of the Dallas Museum of Art in its annual Art Conservation Project Grant for the restoration of this sumptuous silver vitrine,” stated Maxwell L. Anderson, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott director. “With this grant, we are able to ensure the care and restoration of this masterwork, preserving its beauty and highlighting its international importance for the community.”

“Our Art Conservation Project is designed not only to conserve artworks and shine a light on the need for the preservation of artistic and historic treasures, but also to educate communities and convey respect for the varied cultures and traditions throughout the world,” said Richard Holt, Dallas market president for Bank of America. “We’re fortunate to have access to artistic masterpieces in Dallas and are glad to partner with the Dallas Museum of Art to restore this important piece.”

In 2013, the company’s Art Conservation Project supported the restoration of a diverse range of works including Tudor portraits of Queen Elizabeth at the National Portrait Gallery in London; Augustus Saint-Gaudens’s “Diana” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; four portraits by John Butler Yeats at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin; three iconic Jackson Pollock paintings at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; and Rembrandt’s “Scholar in His study” at the National Gallery in Prague.

About the Dallas Museum of Art
Established in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is among the 10 largest art museums in the country and is distinguished by its commitment to research, innovation, and public engagement. At the heart of the Museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses more than 22,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures. Located in the nation’s largest arts district, the Museum welcomes some 600,000 visitors annually and acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary events, and dramatic and dance presentations. In January 2013, the DMA returned to a free general admission policy and launched DMA Friends, the first free museum membership program in the country, which currently has over 70,000 members. For more information, visit DMA.org.

The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by the generosity of DMA Partners and donors, the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Bank of America Corporate Social Responsibility
Bank of America’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic part of doing business globally. Our CSR efforts guide how we operate in a socially, economically, financially and environmentally responsible way around the world, to deliver for shareholders, customers, clients and employees. Our goal is to help create economically vibrant regions and communities through lending, investing and giving. By partnering with our stakeholders, we create value that empowers individuals and communities to thrive and contributes to the long-term success of our business. We have several core areas of focus for our CSR, including responsible business practices; environmental sustainability; strengthening local communities with a focus on housing, hunger and jobs; investing in global leadership development; and engaging through arts and culture. As part of these efforts, employee volunteers across the company contribute their time, passion and expertise to address issues in communities where they live and work. Learn more at www.bankofamerica.com/about

San Ramon, Calif., – Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (NYSE: CVX) today announced the launch and expansion of the 2014 Fuel Your School program, an innovative collaboration with DonorsChoose.org, an online organization that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. In 2014, the Fuel Your School Program will generate up to $8.6 million in classroom supply funding for educators in 22 U.S. communities in 14 states where Chevron operates, with the help of local Chevron and Texaco marketers in 6 markets.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2014, public school teachers from participating communities are invited to post eligible classroom projects at www.DonorsChoose.org. From Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2014, the Fuel Your School program will donate $1 to help fund eligible classroom projects when consumers purchase eight or more gallons of fuel at participating Chevron or Texaco stations, up to a total of $8.6 million.

“Education is a building block to promote economic development and bright futures for young people,” said Dale Walsh, president of Chevron Americas Products. “Chevron is proud to expand this successful program to continue to strengthen educational opportunities in the communities where we operate.”

Since its 2010 inception, Fuel Your School has helped fund more than 17,000 classroom projects at 3,200 K-12 public schools as project funding has increased annually from up to $1 million in 2010 to up to $8.6 million for the 2014 program. The majority of project requests and funding to date have helped support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

“We’re excited to expand our collaboration with Chevron and help provide our nation’s teachers and students with the classroom supplies needed to help foster an innovative and dynamic learning environment,” said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org. “The Fuel Your School program makes it easy for educators, parents, community members and businesses to work together to provide students with the classroom supplies they need to facilitate hands-on learning opportunities.”

Fuel Your School is one of the many programs Chevron supports to increase learning opportunities for students and support the social and economic vitality of communities. In the U.S., over the last three years, Chevron’s total investment in education was more than $100 million, focused primarily on STEM educational initiatives.

For a full list of participating communities in the 2014 Fuel Your School program and to track progress, please visit www.FuelYourSchool.com.

Chevron Corporation is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company’s success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of its employees and their application of the most innovative technologies in the world. Chevron is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. The company explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

About DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America post requests, and individuals can give directly to the ones that inspire them. To date, 250,000 public and charter school teachers have used DonorsChoose.org to secure $184 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn.

Visit www.donorschoose.org/intro to hear Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Colbert tell the DonorsChoose.org story.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. UnitedHealthcare and New York State 4-H Youth Development are expanding a successful partnership called Eat4-Health that helps tackle obesity by promoting healthy eating and active lifestyles among youth and families.

UnitedHealthcare is providing Cornell University Cooperative Extension, which administers 4-H programs in New York, a $40,000 grant to support youth healthy-living programs. A portion of the grant is being used to support healthy living programming, which includes the purchase of pedal-powered blender bikes that will be used for fun, energetic events where young people can create their own healthy smoothies through exercise.

The specially made stationary bikes are equipped with a blender mechanism that makes smoothies when pedaled. The bikes were unveiled on opening day of The Great New York State Fair, where 4-Hers, community leaders and UnitedHealthcare’s mascot Dr. Health E. Hound cheered on young fairgoers who created a healthy snack in a healthy way.

The grant, along with the smoothie bikes and other exercise equipment, will be used to support community events and programs this summer through spring 2015 in which youth and families can learn about easy ways to promote healthy lifestyles. Recipe cards, educational information and other resources will be distributed as part of the program. The goal is to encourage young people and their families to eat more nutritious foods and exercise regularly.

Cornell University Cooperative Extension and the New York State 4-H are working together to implement the grant, in collaboration with and in support of U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition education programs.

A plan has been developed to provide innovative, hands-on learning to target underserved communities in the state, led by 4-H and Extension educators, volunteers and teen leaders to encourage youth and community participation.

“New York 4-H is very excited to team up with UnitedHealthcare to create a more hands-on opportunity for 4-H youth to promote active, healthy lifestyles,” said Andy Turner, New York 4-H Youth Development Program Leader. “These new pedal-powered resources are a great way for 4-H youth health ambassadors to spread vital important that supports habits of healthy living in our communities.”

UnitedHealthcare employees will help organize and host many of these events, and planning and implementing projects that lead to positive, sustainable change at the community and individual level. The company has already provided Cornell University Cooperative Extension $100,000 to support the Eat4-Health program since 2011.

“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to continue our work with New York 4-H to help educate young people about healthy lifestyles and exercise in their daily lives,” said Pat Celli, president, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New York. “These bikes and educational resources provide a unique way to deliver these messages in a positive and meaningful way.”

UnitedHealthcare is providing $520,000 to National 4-H Council to support youth healthy-living programs. In addition to New York, other state 4-H programs receiving grants include Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Eat4-Health, which began in 2011, has already reached more than 210,000 young people and families across nine states through a positive campaign that has trained thousands of 4-H teen youth health ambassadors to promote healthy lifestyles in their communities.

According to America’s Health Rankings®, an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis, obesity is a leading risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and many cancers. Obesity continues to be at epidemic levels and is one of the fastest-growing health challenges confronting the nation. The report can be viewed and downloaded at www.americashealthrankings.org.

About 4-H
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves more than 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

GENEVA, August 23 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday said a massive aid push for some 500,000 displaced Iraqis was going to plan, with a second airlift of aid to Erbil and more flights due today and tomorrow.

The operation began on Wednesday and a second flight landed in the Iraqi Kurdistan city of Erbil on Thursday with more tents. Also on Thursday, UNHCR loaded 16 containers of aid (kitchen sets, blankets and jerry cans) from warehouses in Dubai onto a ship due to sail to Bandar Abbas in Iran on Saturday. From there it will be loaded onto trucks for Erbil.

“This is part of our massive operation to ship in 2,410 tons of aid by air, land and sea over about 10 days for some 500,000 displaced people inside Iraq,” UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists in Geneva.

In north-east Syria, where thousands of mainly ethnic Yazidi refugees have fled since early August, the airlift of supplies from Damascus to Qamishli is going smoothly. The fourth out of six flights arrived on Thursday with more tents, mattresses, wheelchairs, household items and rechargeable fans.

The aid is being used to improve crowded conditions in the Newroz camp (where an estimated 6,000 people reside), and provide more privacy to the families. Movement in and out of the camp has stabilized in recent days. Another 3,000 Yazidis are staying in nearby towns and villages.

Meanwhile, inside Iraq, shelter remains a top priority for displaced people – too many of whom are living in dreadful conditions. The Kurdistan region of Iraq is now hosting close to 700,000 displaced Iraqis, most having arrived in early June.

“While accurate figures are not expected until early September when registration is complete, we estimate that hundreds of thousands are living in unfinished buildings, mosques, churches, parks and schools,” Edwards noted.

Citing official estimates, he said half of the 5,746 schools in Iraqi Kurdistan are now sheltering displaced people or the military, raising concerns that they will not be able to open as scheduled for the new school year on September 10.

“While camps are often viewed as a last resort, displaced Iraqis are moving into them as quickly as tents can be pitched – such is the enormity of this crisis and the desperate need for shelter,” Edwards said.

Currently, there are two tented camps, Badjet Kandela in Duhok governorate and Baharka in Erbil, which are open and housing more than 21,000 people. Twelve more camps will open soon, including three in Sulaymaniyah, six in Dohuk and three in Erbil – after which there will be a total camp capacity of more than 85,000. There are also a handful of privately-run camps in Dohuk. Officials from the Kurdistan regional government are reviewing locations for more camps.

Apart from the struggle to meet basic needs for food, water and shelter, a pressing issue for displaced people who fled their homes with next to nothing is a lack of documents – critical for being registered and getting cash assistance.

Most displaced people have been unable to replace key personal documentation without returning to their areas of origin. UNHCR is providing legal assistance to internally displaced people to help them replace key documents so they can register for aid and move freely.

“There is also an urgent need to strengthen psychological services for displaced people, many of whom are deeply traumatized with the suddenness of their own flight, the death of loved ones, the separation of families, and horrific reports about the fate of others left behind, killed or captured,” UNHCR’s Edwards said.

“Our protection teams tells us of continuing reports of women, particularly from minority groups, abducted by armed groups [in Mosul and Sinjar] and held in various locations. Some have reportedly been forced to convert to Islam, and there are reports of others being trafficked by armed groups, inside and out of Iraq,” he added.

UNHCR appreciates the support of donors for its Iraq operation, particularly Saudi Arabia which has provided US$88.3 million to UNHCR as part of a US$500 million donation to UN operations overall.

LOUISVILLE, KY, –Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, announced the launch of its annual World Hunger Relief effort with the “Pass The Red Cup” challenge featuring multi-Grammy Award winner and international superstar Christina Aguilera.

According to the United Nations, there are nearly 850 million people around the world who suffer from chronic hunger. Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief effort is the world’s largest private sector hunger relief initiative, spanning more than 125 countries, over 40,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants and 1.5 million associates. The initiative began in 2007 in an effort to raise awareness, volunteerism and funds for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and other hunger relief agencies.

The new “Pass The Red Cup” challenge is designed to drive awareness and inspire donations for Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief. Aguilera is challenging media outlets, other celebrities, influencers and her fans around the world to share #PassTheRedCup on their social channels to raise awareness of the global hunger issue. She’s also urging people to donate US$5 to help feed 20 schoolchildren on the campaign’s website, HungertoHope.com. Every dollar raised will go directly towards WFP’s operations to fight hunger around the world.

Aguilera will appear in a global World Hunger Relief public service announcement, posters at KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants, advertising and online efforts. She has served as a volunteer spokesperson for World Hunger Relief since 2009 and has helped to raise millions for WFP and other hunger relief agencies. She is also an “Ambassador Against Hunger” for WFP and has traveled on relief trips to Rwanda, Haiti and Guatemala. In 2012, World Food Program USA honored Aguilera and David Novak, Yum! Brands’ Chairman and CEO, at the U.S. State Department with the George McGovern Leadership Award for their hunger relief efforts. In addition, she received a special achievement award at the 2012 National Council of La Raza ALMA Awards and was the first recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2013 for her hunger relief work.

“The beautiful faces of the children I’ve met in Rwanda and in other countries are with me every day and fuel my passion to raise awareness of the global hunger issue,” said Aguilera. “That’s why I’m urging everyone to join me and #PassTheRedCup for Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief effort. Together we can move millions of children from hunger to hope.” People can accept Aguilera’s challenge by sharing #PassTheRedCup on social channels and by donating $5 on HungertoHope.com.

“With nearly 850 million people going hungry worldwide, we all need to help find a solution to this critical issue,” said David Novak, Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc. “We are thankful to WFP for their incredible life-saving hunger relief efforts in developing countries and to Christina Aguilera for her passion to raise awareness and inspire people to get involved. I’m especially proud of our 1.5 million associates around the globe who are volunteering in their local communities to fight hunger. As one of the world’s largest restaurant companies, we have the privilege and responsibility to lead the fight to end hunger and save lives,” said Novak.

“We are grateful for Yum! Brands’ partnership and ongoing commitment to helping WFP save lives by providing access to food assistance supporting more stable communities around the world,” said Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of WFP. “The World Hunger Relief campaign is a great example of how much can be accomplished when individuals rally around a good cause. Because together, by providing access to nutritious food, we can help millions more hungry people create a better future for themselves. A future where zero hunger is a reality and children everywhere can pursue a life of truly infinite possibilities.”

Since 2007, Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief effort has raised more than $185 million for WFP and other hunger relief organizations and provided 740 million meals to save the lives of millions of people in all corners of the world. Consumers can visit HungertoHope.com, donate in KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants worldwide (no purchase necessary – see calendar below for U.S. campaign dates) or text “WHR” to 90999 in the U.S. to make a donation.

Yum! is also addressing hunger across the U.S. through its Harvest program. Since its launch over two decades ago, Harvest has become the largest prepared-food donation program in the world. Through Harvest, Yum! has donated more than 169 million pounds of food, with a value of nearly $764 million, to those at risk of hunger in the U.S. Yum! has also been the primary sponsor of the Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville, Ky., for 12 years with donations totaling more than $12 million.

Campaign Calendar: World Hunger Relief kicks off the Fall campaign in the U.S. with Pizza Hut on September 1, KFC on September 8 and Taco Bell on November 11.

Join the movement and #PassTheRedCup @WldHungerRelief @yumbrands.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, has over 40,000 restaurants in more than 125 countries and territories. Yum! is ranked #216 on the Fortune 500 List with revenues of over $13 billion and in 2014 was named among the top 100 Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine. The Company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened over five new restaurants per day, making it a leader in international retail development.

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food in emergencies and working with communities to build resilience. Last year, WFP assisted more than 80 million people in 75 countries. For more information, visit www.wfp.org.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) invites nonprofit hospitals and medical transportation organizations to apply for the 2015 Medical Transportation Grant Program. The program is designed to ease the financial burden on families confronting serious medical problems that require travel for treatment. Southwest donates roundtrip airline tickets to nonprofit hospitals and medical organizations in the program, and empowers the organizations to distribute the tickets to patients as they see best based on individuals’ needs. In 2014, Southwest donated more than $2.8 million in complimentary airfare through the program. Hospitals and medical transportation charities can apply by visiting http://www.southwest.com/medicalgrant now through Tuesday, Sept. 30.

“At Southwest, everything we do is from the heart. Our Medical Transportation Grant Program is no different, as we embrace those individuals and families who require critical and specialized treatment,” said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines’ Vice President Communication and Outreach. “From lessening the financial burden on families needing to travel for treatment to partnering with medical organizations, we are proud of the many ways this program is making a positive difference in the lives of our neighbors and the communities we serve.”

The Medical Transportation Grant Program began as a response to a need that was repeatedly expressed to Southwest—families facing serious illnesses needed to travel for treatment. When the Medical Transportation Grant Program launched in 2008, Southwest donated 1,700 tickets to 13 hospitals and organizations. What started as a small effort to make a difference has grown into a nationwide movement, benefiting thousands of individuals and hundreds of communities. Southwest has donated more than $13.2 million in free airfare since the program began seven years ago. Last year, Southwest’s Medical Transportation Grant Program served patients seeking medical treatment at nearly 100 hospitals and organizations nationwide, including the internationally-recognized Shepherd Center.

“Southwest’s Medical Transportation Grant Program has been a tremendous benefit to our patients and their families,” said Gary R. Ulicny, Ph.D, President and CEO at Shepard Center. “With catastrophic injuries, it is essential for a patient’s loved ones to be part of the rehabilitation and recovery process. This program provides that opportunity for families who might otherwise not be able to afford the travel costs.”

More than 33,000 patients’ lives have been positively impacted through this unique program. Read personal stories of patients who have benefitted from the Medical Transportation Grant Program on the NUTS About Southwest blog.

Each participating hospital and nonprofit has unique guidelines for the administration of tickets. To learn about qualifications for travel assistance, please contact the specific hospital or nonprofit organization.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 44th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 45,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Based on the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Southwest is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. The airline also operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world to serve 93 destinations in 40 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five near-international countries. Some flights are operated by wholly owned subsidiary AirTran Airways. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its triple bottom line approach that takes into account the carrier’s performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities it serves, and its commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2013 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at southwest.com/citizenship.

From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as “The Southwest Effect,” a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. With Southwest Airlines, Bags Fly Free ® (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply), and there are no change fees (fare difference may apply) when you need to change your flight. Southwest’s fleet offers leather seating and the comfort of full-size cabins, a majority of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi connectivity over the United States, which enables live and video-on-demand TV currently FREE compliments of DISH, and a new, sustainable cabin interior. Southwest acquired AirTran Airways in May 2011 and by the end of 2014 intends to complete the full integration of the AirTran network into Southwest. With 41 consecutive years of profitability, the People of Southwest and AirTran operate more than 3,600 flights a day. Southwest Airlines’ frequent flights and low fares are available online at southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

For the first time, Tesco customers will be asked to choose the charities and environmental organisations that will benefit from an estimated £1.8 million set to be raised from carrier bag charges in Wales and Scotland.
The organisations on the shortlist for Scotland are Love Food Hate Waste, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Groundwork UK. For Wales, the shortlisted charities are Keep Wales Tidy and Groundwork UK.

In June Tesco gave the green light for charities and environmental organisations to submit proposals on how they would use the funds to help make a real difference for the environment and local communities.

120 organisations applied for the Scottish and Welsh partnerships, and they have since been whittled down to the five-strong shortlist.

One organisation will be chosen to partner with Tesco and be the beneficiary of the bag levy for each region. The Scottish levy is expected to be worth around £1 million and the Welsh levy around £800,000.

Greg Sage, Community Director for Tesco said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for organisations to partner with us and make a real difference to the communities they serve. Our customers are the ones who will pay the charge, so we really wanted them to choose the partners that will benefit from the money.

“Since 2011, the carrier bag levy in Wales has raised over £2.3 million for the local RSPB, which has been used for vital conservation work. We received a huge number of very strong applications from different organiations to be our new partners, and it was a tough job whittling the applications down to just five. It’s now down to our customers to decide who the winners will be.”

Both partnerships will run for an initial period of 12 months from 20 October 2014 to 30 September 2015. The voting process will run for two weeks from today, and the winning organisations will be announced shortly afterwards.

This is courtes of www.tescoplc.com

New York, Aug. 6, 2014 – Companies in the 100,000 Jobs Mission hired a total of 161,752 U.S. military veterans through the second quarter of 2014. In addition, the coalition has grown from 11 founding members to 165 companies that represent almost every industry in the American economy.

“More companies have recognized the value of our coalition and are stepping up to make a difference in the lives of our nation’s veterans,” said Maureen Casey, Director of Military and Veterans Affairs for JPMorgan Chase.

Helping Servicemembers through their Transition

The 100,000 Jobs Mission is committed to hiring veterans, but also to helping servicemembers through their transition back to civilian life. The recently published, “Transition Field Guide for Veterans: Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship after Service,” is a resource that helps transitioning military members and veterans develop post-military career plans long before they separate from the service. The Transition Field Guide outlines four main paths toward meaningful employment: immediately entering the job market, pursuing higher education as a path to employment, obtaining helpful certifications or further training to increase competitiveness, and tips on starting a business. Each path offers a recommended timeline prior to transition as well as helpful tips to consider along the way. Visit JobsMission.com to learn more.

Maureen Casey adds, “Our aim is to help position veterans for success in their post-military lives through employment resources like the Transition Field Guide.”

About the 100,000 Jobs Mission
Launched in 2011, the 100,000 Jobs Mission brings together companies committed to hiring U.S. military veterans and military spouses. The 165 companies now involved have pledged to hire 200,000 veterans by 2020. They hired 161,752 veterans through the second quarter of 2014. For more information on the 100,000 Jobs Mission, visit jobsmission.com.

GAZA, 16 August 2014 – A pause in fighting has helped UNICEF bring life-saving assistance to children in Gaza, but a sustained peace is needed to reach hundreds of thousands more children who desperately need support to rebuild their lives.

“This conflict, coming on top of previous conflicts and deepening poverty, has had a devastating impact on children, who make up half the population of Gaza. Together with partners we are providing critical care and support, but the needs of children are immense and acute,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Yoka Brandt.

Brandt travelled to Gaza earlier this week together with Maria Calivis, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, and UNICEF Representative June Kunugi, to meet with 16 UNICEF Gaza Field Office staff members. They met with displaced and wounded children in Gaza, and also spoke with children in Sderot, southern Israel.

Brandt said the ceasefire had enabled UNICEF-supported technical teams to begin repairing critical infrastructure damaged by airstrikes and shelling, including water pipelines and sanitation systems. Up to 110,000 people had been provided with safe water and hygiene supplies, and hospitals and health facilities re-stocked with some medicine and supplies. Safe, child-friendly spaces have been set up in six shelters for the displaced, and around 6,000 children suffering from profound distress had received some psychological help.

“UNICEF, together with our partners, is committed to reaching as many children as we feasibly can with the support they need. And we can do this if humanitarian workers get the humanitarian space we need,” said Maria Calivis, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“In July alone over 4,500 children were born in Gaza. For the sake of these children, for the sake of all children, we urge all parties to the conflict to protect children from further harm, and find ways to achieve a lasting peace – a peace that protects childhood,” Calivis said.

More than 450 children in Gaza have been killed in recent airstrikes and shelling. More than 2,900 children have been injured and more than 50,000 are homeless.

UNICEF is appealing for $13.7 million to reach children and their families in Gaza. So far less than a quarter of these funds have been received.

NEW YORK – The Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) recognized the Avon Foundation-funded Breast Cancer Start-up Challenge as an award winner of HHS Innovates, a contest developed to celebrate and identify innovation by HHS employees. After seven rounds of judging by HHS leaders and the public, this initiative earned the HHS Innovates “Secretary’s Pick” award for its efforts to mobilize new ways to commercialize breast cancer related inventions.

The Avon Foundation for Women, in partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI), launched the Breast Cancer Startup Challenge in 2013 a first-of-a-kind, international university-based startup competition. The Avon Foundation provided $250,000 in funding for this Challenge.

The primary goals of the Breast Cancer Startup Challenge were to accelerate and increase the volume of emerging breast cancer invention development and commercialization as well as stimulate the creation of start-up businesses around the inventions. As a result of this challenge, 11 new startups were launched, are raising funding and are in negotiations to license the technology. This challenge is unique and presents a real world opportunity in that, in the final stage, teams are required to launch a startup, raise seed funding and also apply for a license to the invention, which is beyond what traditional business plan competitions require.

The challenge is the largest of its kind in the world, as compared to the current largest competition based out of Rice University in Houston. “The CAI team is thrilled to have had the opportunity to partner with NCI and the Avon Foundation on this initiative that has served as a catalyst to accelerate and boost the volume of promising breast cancer related invention-development and -commercialization,” said Rosemarie Truman, Founder and CEO of CAI. “We look forward to seeing the impact the new startups make on the standard of care in breast cancer and other areas as we leverage this novel paradigm as a platform to launch similar challenges.”

The Breast Cancer Startup Challenge is comprised of 10 research technologies that were judged to show great promise to advance breast cancer research. These 10 inventions were developed at NCI or at an Avon Foundation-funded university lab and include therapeutics, diagnostics, prognostics, one device, one vaccine, one delivery system and one health IT invention. Teams of business, legal, medical/scientific, engineering, computer science students and seasoned entrepreneurs have evaluated these technologies to create business plans and start new companies to develop and commercialize them.

Two hundred teams expressed an interest in joining the challenge and 46 teams were accepted to compete on a range of business plan possibilities. In total, 478 people participated in the competition. Given the number of teams and people on each team, this challenge is one of the largest global university business plan challenges to date. The 11 startups include:

Challenge #1 – Diagnostic from Biopsies with Software Analysis
Winner – Radial Genomics, University of Cambridge; Lead Inventor – Tom Misteli, Ph.D., NCI

Challenge #2 – Immunotherapy Using Modified Self Tumor Cells
Winner- PCV Therapeutics, Washington University in Saint Louis; Lead Inventor – Dennis Klinman, M.D., Ph.D., NCI

Challenge #3 – Combination of Tissue Reconstruction and Recurrence Prevention
Winner – Medicogen, Tulane University; Lead Inventor – Karen Burg, Ph.D., Clemson University
Finalist – NEST, Clemson University

Challenge #4 – Human Monoclonal Antibody Based Cancer Therapies
Winner – Mesopharm Therapeutics, Stanford University; Lead Inventor – Mitchell Ho, Ph.D., NCI

Challenge #5 -Immunotherapy Using Granulysin Activated Monocytes
Winner – Orpheden Therapeutics, Northwestern University; Lead Inventor – Alan Krensky, M.D., Northwestern University (formerly with NCI)

Challenge #6 – Anti-cancer Toxin
Winner – Oncolinx, Rutgers University; Lead Inventor – Nadya Tarasova, Ph.D., NCI

Challenge #7 – Versatile Delivery Method for Cancer Therapeutics
Finalist – Bespoke Therapeutics, Wake Forest University; Lead Inventors – Stanislaw J. Kaczmarczyk, Ph.D. & Deb Chatterjee, Ph.D., NCI

Challenge #8 –Genomic-based Diagnostic Assay
Winner – Heragen, University of California, Berkeley; Lead Inventor: Steven Libutti, M.D., FACS, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (formerly NCI)

Challenge #9 -Tissue-based Diagnostic Assay
Winner – ProVivoX, McGill University; Lead Inventor – Stephen M. Hewitt, M.D., Ph.D., NCI

Challenge #10 – Diagnostic Kit for Therapy Benefit Prediction
Winner – Taxor Diagnostics, Tulane University; Lead Inventor – Sherry Yang, MD., Ph.D., NCI
For more information on the Challenge, visit: http://www.breastcancerstartupchallenge.com

The Avon Foundation for Women, the world’s largest corporate-affiliated philanthropy focused on issues that matter most to women, was founded in 1955 to improve the lives of women. Through 2013, Avon global philanthropy, led by the Avon Foundation, has donated more than $957 million in more than 50 countries for causes most important to women. Today, Avon philanthropy focuses on funding breast cancer research and access to care through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, and efforts to reduce domestic and gender violence through its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program. Visit www.avonfoundation.org for more information.

The Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI) is a global public-private partnership non-profit focused on creating a virtuous circle of innovation and driving growth breakthroughs through novel, creative paradigms and models. CAI’s mission is to accelerate and increase the volume of technology transfer, translational research, commercialization and entrepreneurship in various fields of research, including biomedical research, to make more research available to the world for educational and innovation purposes, improve the economy and positively impact world health. For more information about CAI, please visit http://www.thecenterforadvancinginnovation.org.

On 26 July, the UNESCO Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, called for an immediate halt to the intentional destruction of the religious and cultural heritage in Iraq.
Referring to the intentional destruction on 24 July of the shrine of Prophet Jonas and the mosque built in his honor in Mosul, the Director-General said that “I am shocked by this violence against the millenial heritage of Iraq — destroying places of religious and cultural significance is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.”

The destruction of the shrine, a significant place of worship and pilgrimage with a centuries’ old history, is one among several recent attempts to destroy religious and cultural heritage in Iraq.

“I am appalled by these brutal attacks on places of cultural and religious heritage,” said Irina Bokova. “The destruction of the shrine of Prophet Jonas is a new blow against the rich diversity of Iraq’s heritage, cultural and social fabric. Such acts must be stopped immediately. Every layer of Iraq’s unique culture, including its religious heritage, must be protected”, said the Director-General — reminding all that the intentional destruction of cultural heritage represents a war crime.

“The diversity of Iraq’s cultural heritage bears witness to centuries of peaceful coexistence among all communities making up the society of the country”, said the Director-General, reiterating her appeal on June 17 for all Iraqis to stand united for the protection of their cultural heritage.

Last week, UNESCO in consultation with Iraqi and international experts agreed on an Emergency Response Action Plan to safeguard Iraq’s cultural heritage. The Emergency Response Action Plan defines priority interventions to mitigate heightened risks of destruction and damage, looting and illicit trafficking affecting Iraq’s cultural heritage sites and monuments, museums and their collections, as well as archives in the current situation of renewed violence.

www.unesco.org

NEW YORK, NY — JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announces a partnership with the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans and beaches. JetBlue will provide the Foundation with air travel to help support beach cleanups and conservation work throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America.

Nearly 75% of JetBlue’s destinations are on or near shorelines that support local economies, often through tourism related to beaches and oceans. JetBlue is a leading airline in the Caribbean offering nonstop service to 25 destinations across the region. The region now makes up one-third of the airline’s route network. Therefore, the environmental health and natural appearance of destinations’ shorelines have a direct impact on the airline’s core business.

“With destinations along the coasts of the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America, many places in which we have active Surfrider Chapter volunteers, JetBlue supports our mission and desire to protect ocean and beach environments,” says Laura Lee, the Surfrider Foundation’s director of marketing and communications.

“Too often business and media position sustainability and profit against each other,” said James Hnat, general counsel, JetBlue Airways. “At JetBlue, we know that part of customer demand for our product is directly tied to the appeal of clean beaches and oceans. They are often the main draw for many destinations. This partnership with the Surfrider Foundation is an example of how a business can protect profit by protecting nature.”

JetBlue’s sustainability team is focused on connecting revenue and conservation, proving that corporate responsibility pays dividends. The airline recently teamed up with The Ocean Foundation, a Clinton Global Initiative partner, in addition to the Surfrider Foundation, to explore novel approaches to ocean health in the Caribbean.

“Sustainability cannot be ‘a nice thing to do,'” said Sophia Mendelsohn, head of sustainability, JetBlue Airways. “A company’s sustainability plans have to be integral to business in order to change business, or we will all be stuck with the status quo, and increasingly contaminated beaches.”

JetBlue is working with The Ocean Foundation to show the economic value of clean beaches by directly tying the importance of nature to the airline’s main economic measure — revenue per available seat mile (RASM). This work will also benefit the Surfrider Foundation as all three organizations have a joint goal of attaching actual dollar values to pristine shorelines. JetBlue ultimately seeks to strengthen business interest in protecting the destinations and ecosystems in the Caribbean. Together with The Ocean Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation, JetBlue is developing a plan to preserve and protect these areas.

About the Surfrider Foundation:
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 250,000 supporters, activists and members worldwide. For more information on the Surfrider Foundation, visit www.surfrider.org.

ABOUT JETBLUE AIRWAYS
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 30 million customers a year to 86 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 850 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, an overnight stay is never required and the first checked bag is free (subject to weight and size limits and exceptions for itineraries including flights marketed or operated by other airlines). For more information please visit JetBlue.com.

BANGUI, – A cargo plane carrying over 186 metric tons of emergency supplies for children in conflict-affected Central African Republic (CAR) arrived this week in Bangui. The airlift and supplies, provided by USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), include 24,080 buckets, 24,000 wool blankets, 12,000 kitchen sets, 1,090 rolls of plastic sheeting and 28 crates of water bladder kits which will be distributed to highly vulnerable populations. The flight is the first of a two-part airlift to benefit 60,000 vulnerable people. The second airlift is scheduled to arrive in two weeks.

“Long before the ongoing conflict, Central African children were already among the most vulnerable in the world,” said Souleymane Diabaté, UNICEF CAR Representative. “Young lives are being shattered by this ongoing crisis that has lasted over two years. Basic things such as a blanket to stay warm or a bucket to store clean water make a big difference for vulnerable families struggling to survive.”

“Right now, the Central African Republic is among the most dangerous places for aid workers to do their job,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, Director of USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. “This airlift represents the commitment of the U.S. government to save lives and make sure our assistance reaches those most in need, especially in the hardest to reach and underserved areas of the country.”

USAID/OFDA is supporting UNICEF’s emergency response with a new contribution of over US $1.8 million for safe water, emergency health services and relief supplies. In total, USAID/OFDA has contributed over US $6 million towards UNICEF’s emergency response in CAR since January 2014. “Without such important partnerships, UNICEF would not be able to reach as many children as we do now,” Diabaté said.

About UNICEF Central African Republic
UNICEF has worked in the Central African Republic since 1968. UNICEF has offices in Bangui, Bossangoa, and Kaga Bandoro, and leads a Rapid Response Mechanism that delivers emergency supplies to areas where there is virtually no humanitarian presence. With currently 150 staff members on the ground and strong partnerships with other UN agencies and NGOs, UNICEF has been able to dramatically increase its humanitarian capacity in the Central African Republic. Nevertheless, lack of funding remains a critical concern. The CAR crisis is UNICEF’s least funded regional emergency and a further US$81 million are required to meet the humanitarian needs of children in 2014.

About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit: www.unicef.org

BENTONVILLE, Ark., – Today, the Walmart Foundation announces the start of a summer-long initiative to help children and families gain access to nutritious meals and learn healthy-eating habits. The family-focused initiative includes $15 million in grants that will provide meals and nutrition education to 1.4 million children and families in more than 1,500 communities. The six nonprofit organizations set to receive grant funding from the Walmart Foundation, include: Children’s Health Fund, Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National 4-H Council, National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and YMCA of the USA (The Y). Additionally, as part of the initiative, Walmart kicks off a five-week Eat Healthy Together Challenge today that is designed to encourage families to prepare and eat healthy meals together throughout the summer.

According to a new FRAC report issued earlier this month, the number of children participating in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Nutrition Programs increased last year, yet the need for greater access to meals during the summer months while school is out of session remains significant. Last year, only one in seven children who needed summer meals received them, leaving children vulnerable to negative impacts on their health and development during the summer months when regular school meals are not provided. Eating healthy food reduces a child’s risk of disease, helps maintain proper growth and development and improves their memory and mood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“We know that summer can be a challenging time for millions of children who rely on the nutrition from free or reduced cost school meals,” said Julie Gehrki, senior director of the Walmart Foundation. “Through our relationships with dedicated nonprofit organizations, this summer, we will further our commitment to help people gain access to healthy foods and develop nutritious eating habits. We are proud to support this work which will reach over a million children and families in more than 1,500 communities.”

Join Walmart’s Eat Healthy Together Challenge
In addition to the grants from the Walmart Foundation to support nutrition education and healthy summer meals, Walmart is collaborating with Chef Lorena Garcia, renowned chef and author with TV appearances on BRAVO’s “Top Chef Masters” and NBC’s “Biggest Loser”, to launch the Eat Healthy Together Challenge. The challenge encourages families to eat healthy meals together at least three times a week. Families can join the challenge by taking these simple steps (click here for official contest rules):

Follow @WalmartHealthy on Twitter.
Post photos or updates on Twitter of your family eating healthy meals together, and include hashtags #EatHealthyTogether #Contest.
Check out @WalmartHealthy each Monday for the announcement of the winning Challenge Tweet of the week; each winner will be awarded a $25 Walmart gift card.

The challenge will run from Monday, June 30, 2014, through Monday, August 4, 2014, with the first gift card to be awarded on Monday, July 7, 2014. Entries need to be received by 10:00 a.m. ET on Mondays to be considered for the contest each week.

To learn more about meal planning and how families can create healthy meals together, please visit foundation.walmart.com/eathealthytogether for access to helpful resources:

Download, print and post a Challenge Calendar to track each day you eat as a family
Get healthy shopping & cooking tips and a recipe from Chef Lorena
Check out more tasty summer recipe ideas at Walmart.com
“Parents and caregivers are the single most influential role model when it comes to nutrition, and in turn, it falls on their shoulders to help children learn healthy eating habits,” said Chef Lorena. “Walmart’s Eat Healthy Together Challenge is a fun, interactive way to help encourage more families to eat healthy together by providing them with the resources they need to succeed. Fostering a routine now will help ensure the habit continues during the school year and beyond.”

Walmart strives to provide customers with healthier and more affordable food choices so families can live better, healthier lives. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation recently met, and exceeded, their $2 billion commitment to fight hunger in America through 2015, and will continue to fund programs intended to increase access to healthy food and provide nutrition education to families nationwide. To learn more about Walmart’s commitments to fight hunger and provide nutrition education, visit foundation.walmart.com.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Together, they have donated more than 1 billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – June 19, 2014 – Today, Google is joining with supporters, including Chelsea Clinton, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts of the USA, Mindy Kaling, MIT Media Lab, National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), Seventeen and TechCrunch, to kick off Made with Code. The initiative will aim to inspire millions of girls to learn to code, and to help them see coding as a means to pursue their dream careers.

“Coding is a new literacy and it gives people the potential to create, innovate and quite literally change the world,” said Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube. “We’ve got to show all girls that computer science is an important part of their future, and that it’s a foundation to pursue their passions, no matter what field they want to enter. Made with Code is a great step toward doing that.”

Made with Code includes:
Blockly-based coding projects like designing a bracelet 3D printed by Shapeways, learning to create animated GIFs or building beats for a music track.
Video profiles of girls and women who explain how they’re using code to do what they love — in fashion, music, dance, animation, cancer research and more.
A resource directory for parents and girls to find more information about new local events, camps, classes and clubs.
Collaborations with organizations like Girl Scouts of the USA and Girls, Inc. to introduce Made with Code to girls in their networks, encouraging them to complete their first coding experience.
All of this attempts to solve a fast-growing problem in computer science. “I think coding is cool, but most girls don’t. Less than 1 percent of high school girls see computer science as part of their future,” said Mindy Kaling, the actress, comedian and writer. “Made with Code lets girls see coding not just as something they can do, but something they’d love to do.”

“When I received my first computer in the mid-80s, women comprised 37 percent of CS graduates. Today, despite ever-increasing job opportunities, it’s less than 16 percent. We need to help girls see themselves as the next generation of coders, and, with efforts like Made with Code and the No Ceilings Initiative, make sure there’s full participation in technology’s future.” — Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation.

Google is also committing $50 million over three years to support programs working to increase gender diversity in CS. We’re piloting a project with DonorsChoose.org to reward teachers that support girls who take CS courses on Codecademy or Khan Academy. We’re also working with the Science and Entertainment Exchange to encourage more female engineer characters depicted family TV and film. This is just a first step, and it builds on the $40 million we’ve invested since 2010 in organizations like Code.org, Black Girls Code, Technovation and Girls Who Code.

These efforts are based on Google’s new nationwide research, which shows that CS exposure is crucial in pre-college years, parental encouragement is key and that girls who have positive perceptions of CS as a career, and understand its potential for social impact, are much more likely to pursue it.

“The numbers hurt: Women constitute more than half of the professional workforce, but only a quarter of workforce in tech,” said Lucy Sanders, CEO, and co-founder of NCWIT. “It’s a problem, bordering on a crisis. We won’t solve it easily, or quickly. But Made with Code is a great step in the direction of reversing this trend, and getting more and more girls to use coding to accomplish amazing things by doing what they love.”

Made with Code kicks off tonight with an event in New York City where over 100 teenage girls from local organizations and public schools will work on coding projects and witness first-hand how women use code in their dream jobs, like Danielle Feinberg (Pixar), Miral Kotb (iLuminate Dance Technology) and Erica Kochi (UNICEF’s Innovation Unit). The event will also feature girl coders like Brittany Wenger who’s using code to fight cancer.

Supporters of and organizations involved with Made with Code include: Adafruit, American School Counselor Association, Black Girls Code, Code.org, Codecademy, Computer Science Teachers Association, DonorsChoose.org, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Who Code, iLuminate, KIPP Schools, littleBits, National Association for College Admission Counseling, National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, National Center for Women & Information Technology, Mindy Kaling, MIT Media Lab, Mozilla Webmaker, PSTA, Seventeen, Shapeways, Sew Electric, Seventeen, Shapeways, Teach for America, TechCrunch, Technovation Challenge, and U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

This news is courtesy of www.google.com

The Coca-Cola Company, USAID, the Global Fund, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invest more than $21M USD to expand initiative to 10 countries

Atlanta, June 23, 2014 – The Coca-Cola Company and its Foundations , the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced the expansion of “Project Last Mile” to include 10 African countries over the next five years.

This public-private partnership – currently focused on Tanzania and Ghana – applies Coca-Cola’s logistic, supply chain, distribution and marketing expertise to help African governments maximize the ability to get critical medicines and medical supplies the “last mile” to those who need it most in remote communities in Africa.

Today’s commitment to expand includes an investment of more than $21 million USD from the partners, as well as the official addition of USAID to this powerful coalition. The next country where Project Last Mile is being implemented is Mozambique. The additional seven countries are in various stages of identification and discussion with local governments.

“Africa has been a vital part of our business for more than 85 years, and we’re committed to doing our part to help people across Africa live healthier and more active lives,” said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. “We know our business can only be as strong as the communities we serve, and we’re honored to use Coca-Cola’s expertise to improve the distribution of medicine and medical supplies. Project Last Mile has been a great and growing success so far, and we look forward to working with our partners to improve lives across more communities and more countries. It’s wonderful to be able to help more people enjoy better access to life-sustaining and life-enhancing medicines.”

Through Project Last Mile, the government agencies managing the procurement and efficient distribution of essential medicines and medical supplies benefit from private sector expertise, learning how to forecast demand for medicines and vaccines, better market the availability of such commodities, and ensure the cold chain equipment is maintained properly for storing certain medicines and vaccines.

“As a result of Last Mile we have been able to implement professional practices that have improved our planning, distribution and performance management processes. This has improved our capability to consistently deliver critical medical supplies throughout Tanzania,” said Cosmas Mwaifwani, The Director General of the Medical Stores Department in Tanzania. “Since we began working with our partners in 2010, we have been able to increase the availability of medicines in medical clinics by 20-30 percent in some places where we have implemented the direct distribution model. Additionally, the partners have shared distribution tools with us to enable us to efficiently reach more than 5,500 health facilities.”

“Project Last Mile is an excellent example of partners coming together to develop an innovative solution that provides access to critical medicines and medical supplies in remote African communities,” said Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “Private sector involvement has a vital role to play in public health.”

“As a global community we have set ambitious goals of ending preventable child and maternal deaths and creating an AIDS-free generation,” said USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah. “By harnessing the power of Project Last Mile’s coalition to get life-saving medicines to the people that need them most, we can help to bend the curve and accelerate reductions in child and maternal deaths.”

Project Last Mile is executed in collaboration with Yale’s Global Health Leadership Institute, Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP) and Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF), who each bring unique skills to make the project sustainable.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company’s portfolio features 17 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

About U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential.

About The Global Fund
The Global Fund is an international financing institution dedicated to attracting and disbursing resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria. The Global Fund promotes partnerships between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities, the most effective way to help reach those in need. This innovative approach relies on country ownership and performance-based funding, meaning that people in countries implement their own programs based on their priorities and the Global Fund provides financing where verifiable results are achieved.

Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has supported more than 1,000 programs in more than 140 countries, providing AIDS treatment for 6.1 million people, anti-tuberculosis treatment for 11.2 million people and 360 million insecticide-treated nets for the prevention of malaria. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts in dealing with the three diseases.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people – especially those with the fewest resources – have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Dr. Susan (Sue) Desmond-Hellmann and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. For more information visit our website at http://www.gatesfoundation.org/.

About The Yale Global Health Leadership Institute
The Yale Global Health Leadership Institute develops leadership through education and research programs that strengthen health systems and promote health equity and quality of care.

This news is courtesy of www.coca-colacompany.com