Western Union launches ‘Yolanda’ relief drive

Screengrab from Western Union Foundation website, https://foundation.westernunion.com/

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado—Western Union announced a multi-faceted response program that will provide support for disaster relief efforts for the families and communities most affected by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) in the Philippines.

The program includes grant funding from The Western Union Foundation and a consumer no-fee activation initiative, as well as Western Union employee and retail agent giving.

The Western Union Foundation is making a grant of US$100,000 to Save the Children to support the organization’s immediate response to the disaster in the Philippines, including providing emergency materials, meals and water to disaster victims.

Over the course of this week, and for the benefit of consumers sending money to family and loved ones in the Philippines, The Western Union Company will activate a no-fee money transfer transaction program from participating Agent locations in the Caribbean, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Portugal, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, through November 30, 2013.

Consumers in the United States must include promotion code HAIYANRELIEF with their transaction at retail Agent locations to utilize the no-fee offer. Additional countries for no-fee retail activations will be announced via social media in the coming days.

No-fee transactions to the Philippines will also be enabled for the same time period at WesternUnion.com in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Online consumers in the United States will need to use the promotion code HAIYANRELIEF, while consumers in Australia and the United Kingdom need to use promotion code HAIYANRELIEF2013.

Furthermore, in the United States, Western Union has set up a no-fee payments contribution account benefitting the American Red Cross, to support international relief efforts in the Philippines. Donors in the United States can contribute by making a no-fee payments transaction at participating Western Union Agent locations, directed to the account, up to US$5,000.

To encourage and support additional philanthropy, through Nov. 30, 2013, The Western Union Foundation will match two-for-one employee donations to the Western Union Foundation for disaster relief efforts in the Philippines.

Western Union is also encouraging its agents to join together in supporting relief efforts. Under the Western Union Foundation Business Partner Giving program, the Foundation will provide a dollar-for- dollar match of qualifying contributions to NGOs providing disaster relief support in the impacted region.