Thread: Western Union Introduces $50 million Our World, Our Family

Englewood, CO--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--September 13, 2007--Today The Western Union Company and The Western Union Foundation introduced Our World, Our Family, a $50 million, five-year initiative to empower migrant families through education and global economic opportunity programs that help them stay connected, overcome barriers, and realize their dreams.

The Western Union Company and the Western Union Foundation also announced that MercyCorps, a global humanitarian organization, has been selected as the first Our World, Our Family partner.

Education and economic opportunity means providing people around the world with the tools to succeed


As the company approaches its first anniversary as an independent, publicly held company, Western Union has worked to build on its history of giving. With this commitment, Western Union is realigning its corporate and charitable investments and resources to focus on education and economic opportunity issues important to the company's consumers, in an effort to amplify the company's positive impact in communities around the world.

Our World, Our Family will help leverage the impact of remittances, one of the world's most powerful forces for economic development.

"Education and economic opportunity means providing people around the world with the tools to succeed," said Christina Gold, president and CEO, Western Union. "We take great pride in our commitment to helping families stay connected, and we strongly believe in making migration an option, not a necessity. With Our World, Our Family, we will help open doors to new opportunities supporting global citizens on their journey to a better life."

Our World, Our Family is framed around four pillars designed to empower individuals and families.

Our World Gives will engage consumers and Western Union Agents to allow community members, Western Union employees and Agents to pool their funds to support social issues they care about most.

Our World Learns applies Western Union's intimate understanding of migrant populations to advance education with family scholarships to address the educational needs of multiple generations. The program includes "learning packs" that boost language, family connectedness and personal finance skills.

Our World Strives includes a new volunteer mentor corps that provides entrepreneurial and personal finance support at community centers and selected Agent locations, and a new online Website and Agent-based kiosks that will feature small business support and allow customers to track their remittances, money management and savings goals.

Our World Speaks will engage global leaders in a new dialogue to encourage an inclusive approach to economic development and issues that impact migrant communities.

With MercyCorps, Western Union is piloting Our World, Our Family in four countries: the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, the United States and Guatemala.

"Western Union plays a central role in the lives of people around the world, and its reach creates an opportunity to enhance economic opportunity on a massive scale," noted MercyCorps CEO Neal Keny-Guyer. "For every dollar spent to increase economic equality, it is estimated that seven dollars are saved by avoiding the terrible consequences of poverty. We look forward to working with Western Union in fostering economic growth through critical new learning tools."

Our World, Our Family will be led jointly by the Western Union Foundation and The Western Union Company. The company's $50 million initiative over five years is a commitment to continue Western Union's historical giving program. The funding is expected to consist of direct contribution and investment to support Our World, Our Family together with contributions to the Western Union Foundation and other company-supported initiatives.

About MercyCorps
MercyCorps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, MercyCorps has provided $1.3 billion in assistance to people in 100 nations. For more information, visit http://www.mercycorps.org.

About the Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation began in 2000 as a philanthropic organization to facilitate charitable giving programs worldwide. Through the donations of The Western Union Company, its employees and Agents, the Foundation helps to fund programs that enhance the quality of life for those most in need around the world. Since 2001, the Western Union Foundation, in collaboration with Western Union Agents and employees, has granted nearly $40 million to more than 1,500 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 70 countries around the globe to support humanitarian projects. In addition, the Foundation has supported more than 50 disaster-relief operations and has funded education and human services programs. For more information, visit http://www.westernunion.com/foundation.

About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leading provider of global money transfer services. Together with its affiliates, Orlandi Valuta and Vigo, Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. It operates through a network of approximately 312,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories. For more information, visit http://www.westernunion.com.



CONTACT
The Western Union Company
Daniel DÃ*az
720-332-5564
or
The Jeffrey Group
Elizabeth SanjenÃ*s
305-860-1000 x-155
or
MercyCorps
Eric Block,
206-321-4957


http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php? ... 9467&cha=8

then that means that all illegals can go home and take advantage of this new service and stay in their own country and realize their dreams.

This comes on the hill of pressure from LaRaza and other la-THEEENO (as they love to emphasize)racist groups complaining about the percentage of remittances usurped by Western Union. It wouldn't surprise me if an all out bidding war comes on the hills of the Western Union announcement.

That being said, I think those who benefit the most (big business) should take the pressure off of us the innocent victims of their global schemes and make it possible for the la THEEEENO population to go home and put their hostage demand to the test in their own cesspools.