PepsiCo and PepsiCo Foundation Commit $300,000 to Balkan Flood Relief Efforts

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May 27, 2014, 07:00 ET

PURCHASE, N.Y., May 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation are donating USD $300,000 to support international relief efforts in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina following massive flooding that has caused widespread devastation and destruction. PepsiCo is also donating 1.5 tons of its products.

Severe flooding following the heaviest rains seen in 120 years has impacted more than one million people.

PepsiCo logo (PRNewsFoto/PepsiCo) (PRNewsFoto/PepsiCo)

The donated resources will be allocated to the American Red Cross International Response Fund and the World Food Programme (WFP) for relief efforts on the ground. Specifically:

Through the American Red Cross, the PepsiCo Foundation is supporting the Red Cross of Serbia and the Red Cross of Bosnia and Herzegovina with USD $100,000. Both Red Cross organizations are actively engaged in rescue operations, providing essential food and non-food items to those affected as well as helping to set up centers and temporary accommodations for those evacuated. Relief efforts are being hampered by destroyed infrastructure, broken telecommunications, power outages and difficult conditions in the field. This is the third response operation the Serbian Red Cross has been involved in this year.

The PepsiCo Foundation is providing USD $100,000 to WFP. Part of the United Nations system, WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Under the Immediate Response-Emergency Operations for Serbia, WFP airlifted life-saving non-food items to Belgrade within 36 hours from the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Brindisi, Italy, where a strategic stockpile of relief items are prepositioned for immediate response. This was the first UN assistance received for the flood response. WFP continues to provide aid to both Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with additional deliveries.

PepsiCo's business unit in the West Balkans, Marbo, is supporting the Red Cross of Serbia and the Red Cross of Bosnia and Herzegovina with USD $100,000. The company also donated 1.5 tons of finished goods last weekend to the Red Cross of Serbia and the Red Cross of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and coordinated a local campaign for employees to donate food, goods, hygiene products, milk and other basic necessities. In addition, trucks and drivers were made available to transport boots, pillows, blankets and other charitable goods.

The PepsiCo Foundation will collaborate with agency partners over the coming months to assess the deployment of the relief committed and potential needs in the future.

The PepsiCo Foundation has a long-standing history of working with the Red Cross, WFP and other relief partners to help communities that have suffered as a result of natural disasters. From hurricanes in Haiti and the United States to earthquakes in Japan and China to floods in Missouri and the Philippines, PepsiCo, the PepsiCo Foundation and these agencies have come together to provide support in the aftermath of disasters and to help rebuild communities.

About PepsiCo Relief Partners

American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

The World Food Programme
A United Nations agency, WFP is the world's largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food in emergencies and helping vulnerable communities become more resilient. Each year on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 80 countries.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth in shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About the PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation is the philanthropic anchor of PepsiCo, responsible for providing charitable contributions to eligible non-profit organizations. The Foundation is committed to developing sustainable partnerships and programs in underserved regions that provide opportunities for improved health, environment and education. For more information, please visit: http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Global-Citizenship.

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SOURCE PepsiCo