A billion bellies to fill: Yum! Brands seeks to end world hunger

Louisville-based Yum! Brands would like to put an end to hunger.

Yum!, the world’s largest restaurant company and parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, joined with the World Food Programme, an affiliate of the United Nations, and in 2006 launched World Hunger Relief, a program to raise money to help feed hungry people in Louisville and around the world.

“Yum! was coming up on its 10th anniversary and we decided we wanted to align some of our charitable giving," said Laura Melillo, executive director of the Yum! Brands Foundation. “We’ve been partners with the local Dare to Care for eight years. We donate $1 million a year to them."

World Hunger Relief has raised $36 million so far, and employees at Yum! restaurants in 110 countries have volunteered more than 9 million hours for the program.

“Hunger is a real issue now – commodities prices have risen and with the slow economy people, who never thought they would, have found themselves in the unenviable situation of having to ask for food," Melillo said. “Dare to Care has seen a 30 percent increase in requests since 2008."

World Hunger Relief and the World Food Programme raise funds and awareness through various efforts by Yum! employees and through the group’s Web site, fromhungertohope.com.

“Our associates have done car washes, marathons, bike races ... anything to put their personal stamp on the efforts to raise awareness and funds," Melillo said.

Singer Christina Aguilera is World Hunger Relief’s celebrity spokesperson. She has taped public service announcements for the group and will appear on posters in Yum! restaurants.

“As a mother, I think it’s unacceptable that a child dies every six seconds somewhere around the world from hunger and I want to do something about it," Aguilera said in a press release. “I hope to raise even more awareness about the issue and move millions of people from hunger to hope."

Yum! is also co-leading the Business Council to End Global Hunger. The effort will encourage trade associations, companies and other private sector entities in the United States to support the Roadmap to End Global Hunger – an advocacy initiative laying out a comprehensive strategy for the U.S. government to set the stage for a permanent end to global hunger and poverty.

“As a society, we should not tolerate that global hunger is worse than ever this year with more than 1 billion people going to bed hungry every day," said Yum! Chairman and CEO David Novak in a release. “We believe it is our privilege and responsibility to find a meaningful solution to this problem."

Novak will host a World Hunger Relief dinner on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. at The Henry Clay, 604 S. Third St., to raise funds and awareness for the program.

University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino and University of Kentucky coach John Calipari will join Novak at the dinner to discuss coaching for success, leadership and motivation.

“This dinner is a way to engage Louisville in a global issue," Melillo said.

The event will also include a cocktail hour, dinner catered by Silver Spoon, a live auction and talks by Karen Sendelback, executive director of Friends of the World Food Programme, and Ngor Biar Deng, of the Sudanese Refugee Education Fund.

Tickets are $250 each.

For more information, call 874-2880 or visit ­friendsofwfp.org.