Hershey's India to Supply SOFIT, Soya Milk Nutritional Beverage, to the Drought Affected Region in Maharashtra

MUMBAI, June 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Ties Up With United Way Mumbai to Provide Aid of Rs. 6 Lakhs in the F orm of 30,000, 200ml Tetra Packs of SOFIT to Provide Fortified Nutrition to Solapur

Hershey India Pvt. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company, today pledged to supply 30,000, 200ml packs of SOFIT for the residents of Karmala Block of Solapur District who have been severely affected by drought. The recurrent drought has resulted in severe shortage of food and water, making it very difficult for the economically-weaker families to afford even basic rations to support themselves. Hershey India has tied up with United Way Mumbai to distribute SOFIT to smaller NGOs working in the worst-affected places in Karmala.

Praveen Jakate, Managing Director, Hershey India commented on the endeavour, "Hershey has a legacy of contributing to charitable causes. We feel fortunate to be in a position to help the drought affected people. As a gesture, we are sending nutritious SOFIT to the people of Solapur. We hope this will give them courage and strength to deal with current situation."

Hershey India has transported 30,000 packs of 200ml SOFIT to the local NGO of United Way Mumbai for distribution to end beneficiaries. The target beneficiaries would be Primary Health centres, Dalit and nomadic tribes (DNT) community, SC/ST community, labourers, elderly, disabled, women-headed households in the drought affected villages.

SOFIT is produced from the liquid extract of soya beans when they are soaked, finely ground and then strained. SOFIT is a source of proteins, contains vitamins A, E, C, Omega 3 and 6 and fiber, and is further fortified with added calcium, making it a good nutritional beverage.

Since its inception, The Hershey Company has always been dedicated to helping children in need. Called 'Nourishing Minds', the company aims to provide children with basic nutrition to learn and grow. With a strong purpose of giving back to society, 'The Good To Give Back Week' initiative of The Hershey Company has grown into a global event with Hershey Company employees around the world giving their time and resources to communities in need.

Ms. Jayanti Shukla, Executive Director, United Way Mumbai said, "We are pleased to partner with Hershey in helping those in need. In partnership with Hershey, United Way Mumbai has provided additional nutritional support, in the form of SOFIT soya milk to those affected by the recurrent drought in Maharashtra. It is through strong and effective programs like these that we can reach out to those who are affected by natural disasters and deliver immediate and timely relief. United Way Mumbai's drought mitigation program aims to provide access to safe drinking water, nutrition and healthcare support to the drought affected. Also, as part of long term intervention, our goal is to support an integrated watershed management program, to build local resilience to severe weather conditions that this region regularly faces."

About The Hershey Company 

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY), headquartered in Hershey, PA., is the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America and a global leader known for bringing goodness to the world through its chocolate, sweets, mints and other great-tasting snacks. Hershey has approximately 22,000 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company, which has more than 80 brands around the world that drive over $7.4 billion in annual revenues, includes such iconic brand names as HERSHEY'S, REESE'S, HERSHEY'S KISSES, JOLLY RANCHER, ICE BREAKERS and BROOKSIDE. Hershey is focused on growing its presence in key international markets while continuing to build its competitive advantage in North America.

At Hershey, deliciousness does not just mean providing delicious products to customers. 120 years ago, Hershey is committed to operating in a fair, ethical and sustainable way to achieve excellent operations and have a positive impact on the society. This means improving life for employees, consumers and communities and ultimately creating a better future for children in need. As a manifestation of this commitment, the company founder established Milton Hershey School in 1909. The school is managed by Hershey Trust Company. Students can enjoy education, housing and health care at the school and grow healthily. They are the direct beneficiaries of The Hershey Company's success.

About United Way Mumbai 

United Way Mumbai (UWM) is a part of the 128-year-old United Way movement engaged in nearly 1800 communities, spanning 41 countries across the world. UWM's mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good. UWM works closely with a network of 400+ NGOs and a large number of corporates for their CSR programmes, workplace giving campaigns and other events. This includes designing of CSR policy and strategies, due diligence of NGO partners, programme implementation, employee volunteering, impact assessments and financial and programmatic reporting. Over the past 13 years, they have partnered with over 300 companies and over 1,00,000 individual donors investing close to INR 170 crore for community development projects. Their flagship programmes have been largely in the areas of civic awareness, health, safety and greening. In addition to this, they have designed and facilitated large scale interventions in the areas of education, nutrition and sanitation in urban and rural communities.

Media contact:
Rachna Baruah
[email protected]
+91-9930290142
Communicate India