This year we aimed high and set our sights on reaching the six-million-meal mark during our Global Hunger Relief Campaign. It’s been a worldwide effort three years in the making with our global partners Rise Against Hunger and Latet. And as usual, our incredible employees rose to the challenge. More than 4,800 employees stepped away from their desks this year to volunteer 35,000+ hours packing meals for families and individuals in need. And, I’m delighted to announce that we exceeded our goal!
Our 2019 campaign pushed our cumulative total well past our aim, and I’m delighted to announce that Western Digital volunteers have packed 6,510,472 meals to date!
An international group of enthusiastic volunteers packing meals. Clockwise from top to bottom: BangPa-In (Thailand), Milpitas (USA), Taipei (Taiwan) and Laguna (Philippines)
Hunger relief is something that we can all rally behind. Consistent access to nutritious meals is vital to developing the healthy bodies and minds that enable a person to reach their full potential. We believe in this principle so strongly that it is one of Western Digital’s philanthropic pillars. At the local level, we are assisting with fulfilling the immediate need for food. Along with these efforts, we partner with non-profit organizations that have strategic initiatives aimed at ending hunger and food insecurity globally.
For our global campaign, we are grateful to work with our partners, Rise Against Hunger (RAH) and Latet. The millions of meals packed by our volunteers are distributed to local organizations around the world through their networks. More than just immediate hunger relief, this packaged food is a catalyst to change lives. Consistent access to food becomes a gateway to help improve student health and nutrition, promote education, and stimulate local economic growth.
Volunteers packing meals throughout the world. Clockwise from top to bottom: Seoul (South Korea), Tel Aviv (Israel), Sarawak (Malaysia) and Bangalore (India)
Karen Sanders Noe, Director of Global Expansion & Corporate Development with RAH, spoke about our partnership, saying, “Western Digital is a significant partner to Rise Against Hunger. We’re going to be packaging millions of meals around the globe in events just like this.” She continued about the global food crisis,
People shouldn’t be dying of hunger today. There’s enough food to feed everybody. So, let’s change that, come together, work side by side, and make sure that no other child dies of hunger in the future.
Meals from this year’s campaign will provide nourishment for people around the globe. This group includes 200 expecting mothers and their families in the Philippines for a full year, communities that have experienced natural disasters, clients served by the Abundant Life Foundation Thailand, SOCARE India, and so many others. We are also thinking locally to think globally by working with partners such as Latet, who verify that their meals provided to communities in Israel (near Western Digital’s local offices) meet kosher standards.
Our annual global hunger relief program demonstrates that giving back is a priority, and we believe more can be achieved when we do it together. Through worldwide teamwork, we are helping communities thrive with more than 6 million meals today – and we intend to keep that tally growing.
Learn More
• Visit our Corporate Philanthropy page to see Western Digital’s Global Giving & Doing initiatives in our key pillars: STEM education, hunger relief, and environmental protection.
• Explore our Corporate Sustainability Report to gain a greater understanding of how Western Digital provides positive environmental and social impact through corporate citizenship
