Mars announced a $1 million grant through the Mars Impact Fund to World Central Kitchen (WCK) to support communities affected by earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela. The funding will help provide more than 200,000 meals to people affected by the disaster, in addition to on-the-ground efforts already underway by Mars and its brands.
Mars and WCK have partnered since 2022 to prepare and deliver meals to people affected by crises worldwide. WCK provides on-the-ground food distribution for families in need and has served more than 600 million meals worldwide since its founding in 2010.
"As a family-owned, principles-led business, our hearts go out to the families whose lives have been devastated by this earthquake," said Michelle Grogg, executive director of the Mars Impact Fund. "In times of crisis, Mars believes we have a responsibility to utilize our global resources to support the recovery of impacted communities. We are honored to partner with World Central Kitchen, whose team has the immediate on-the-ground expertise and local relationships needed to deliver hot meals and critical relief to families when they need it most."
The grant complements additional relief efforts supported directly by Mars businesses. Mars South America businesses have donated more than 5 tons of food products, including cereal, snack food and pet food, through local food banks to support people and pets affected by the earthquake.
WCK activated its response within hours of the disaster, working alongside local restaurants and community partners to prepare and distribute meals to communities most affected by the earthquakes. To date, WCK has served nearly 500,000 meals across the affected states of Miranda, La Guaira and Carabobo, working alongside more than 50 local restaurant partners to reach displaced families, first responders and communities recovering from the earthquake's damage.
"When the earthquakes struck, our teams and local partners were able to mobilize within hours because of partners like Mars," said Tunde Wackman, chief development officer at World Central Kitchen. "This generous grant from the Mars Impact Fund means we can keep showing up for families across Venezuela with fresh, nourishing meals, and it's a powerful reminder that when we come together, we can help neighbors when it matters most."
Canine search-and-rescue teams
Mars is also providing support for its Venezuelan associates based in Southern Brazil and the deployment of canine search-and-rescue teams from Argentina and Mexico.
The search-and-rescue work is funded by the Royal Canin Foundation, the charitable arm of Mars global pet nutrition brand Royal Canin. Additionally, Mars, along with VCA Charities, the nonprofit arm of the VCA Animal Hospitals network, and Royal Canin U.S. have sponsored the deployment of the Los Angeles Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue team, which is supporting emergency response efforts on the ground.
