URC Celebrates World Food Day with SOS PH at Food Rescue Kitchen

Since 1979, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) designated October 16 as World Food Day. The FAO states that this day aims to “promote global awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger, and to highlight the need to ensure healthy diets for all. As the world population continues to grow, much more effort and innovation will be urgently needed to decrease food losses and waste and ensure that all who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition have access to nutritious food.”?

In fulfilling this shared vision of uplifting society through food accessibility, URC has been continuously partnering with Scholars of Sustenance Philippines (SOS PH), a food rescue and environmental foundation that primarily aims to rescue food and make nutritious meals available to vulnerable communities. SOS PH conducts several initiatives including the pickup of quality surplus food for distribution to their community partners and the implementation of Rescue Kitchen programs where volunteers cook and distribute nutritious meals. In celebration of World Food Day this year, URC volunteers were very happy to participate in one of their Rescue Kitchen programs held on October 9.??

Our employees first visited the SOS PH Head Office where they were able to prepare for a day of challenging work but admirable impact. After being briefed on expectations and reminders to keep the group guided, the employees joined one of the SOS PH head chefs in preparing the meals that would be distributed later in the day. The team spent their morning in the kitchen that led them to establish an efficient system for cooking and packing a large quantity of nutritious meals. Immersing themselves in this arduous yet rewarding task truly allowed our colleagues to experience a new way of putting people first. As we take pride in creating opportunities for career growth, we also recognize the importance of avenues that build our colleagues’ character, social responsibility, and holistic identity as a URC employee.?

After carefully cooking and packing, our employees headed to the Pugad Lawin Civic Center in Marikina City to distribute the meals to recipients from the SOS PH partner communities. Around 500 beneficiaries were happy to line up for a freshly made meal from a URC employee who was equally happy to hand each of them 1L of Vitasoy Milky Oat. From children to senior citizens eager to fill their stomachs, our employees were grateful to interact with the actual people who received the meals they prepared themselves. It brought a deep sense of gratitude to experience the end-to-end process of helping other people and contributing to a program that creates a lasting effect.??

We thank all our employees who took part in the initiative, Vitasoy Philippines for donating nourishing products, and our partners from SOS PH for giving us such a humbling opportunity to actualize our shared aspirations. While World Food Day is only celebrated once a year, we hope that its essence is constantly realized and reflected in our actions on a daily basis. May we continue to live out the advocacy of reducing food waste and making quality food accessible to the greater community.?