Western Union Foundation awards first scholarships under the Family Scholarship Program Pilot
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jan. 27, 2009 – The Western Union Foundation today announced the first award recipients of the Family Scholarship Pilot Program for migrant workers and their families. The pilot phase of the program was focused on awarding scholarships to families within the Guatemalan and Filipino diaspora in the Los Angeles, California, area and is now expanding to include the Mexican diaspora as well.
Filipina immigrant sisters, Carla Mae and Carmela Mae Ubalde, both received scholarships to help continue their college education at California State University in Northridge. Carla is studying to be a nurse, while Carmela is majoring in computer science. Both girls volunteer in their local community, in addition to attending school and working at various jobs to help pay tuition and other educational expenses. “We are so grateful to the Western Union Foundation for caring about young people. You’ve helped us make our family proud,” said Carla Mae and Carmela enthusiastically. “These scholarships will help make both of our lives a little easier and we truly appreciate your gift.”
“We are pleased to be able to award our first family scholarships to these hard-working, young women from the Filipino community,” said Luella Chavez D’Angelo, president, Western Union Foundation. “Education is a universal need and has the ability to create opportunity and improve lives. This family scholarship will help improve the lives of these two sisters, lessening their financial burden and providing them with the opportunity to achieve their educational goals.”
The Family Scholarship Program is a component of Western Union’s Our World, Our FamilySM signature program, a five year, $50 million commitment designed to provide communities with the skills, knowledge and resources essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. The program is framed around four areas: Our World Gives; Our World Learns; Our World Strives and Our World Speaks, with each area given equal attention towards helping families stay connected, overcome barriers and realize their dreams.
The Western Union Foundation Family Scholarship Program is independently managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE), an international non-profit educational exchange organization. Scholarship applicants can determine eligibility and initiate an online application through the Western Union Foundation website at foundation.westernunion.com.
About the Western Union Foundation
Through the donations of The Western Union Company, its employees and Agents, the Western Union Foundation helps to fund programs that create economic opportunity around the world. Embracing the truly global nature of its corporate sponsor, the Western Union Foundation has granted over $52 million to more than 1,750 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 75 countries. Its signature giving program, Western Union’s Our World, Our Familysm, is a $50 million, five-year commitment reaching people at every rung of the economic ladder. Through Our World, Our Family, the Western Union Foundation is helping migrants and their families stay connected, overcome barriers and realize their dreams.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) is a leader in global money transfer services. Together with its Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded money transfer services, 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 combined network of more than 365,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories. Famous for its pioneering telegraph services, the original Western Union dates back to 1851. For more information, visit www.WesternUnion.com.
The Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a global non-profit founded in 1919, committed to fostering a world of international cooperation. Among the world’s largest and most experienced international education and training organizations, IIE administers 250 programs worldwide. In Denver, IIE administers the Denver World Affairs Council, The Fulbright Program, the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), and Global Literacy – a schools outreach program. The overarching goal of each of these programs is to facilitate the opportunities and climate for meaningful, educational interactions between people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds that will lead to peace and prosperity around the world.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Judy Cara
The Western Union Foundation
720-332-4764
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