Charitable Foundation Of CITGO Donates Tents For Typhoon Victims In The Philippines

HOUSTON, Dec. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Simon Bolivar Foundation, in a joint effort with CITGO Petroleum Corporation (CITGO) and its ultimate parent company, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), will donate more than 1,000 refurbished dome tents to Matthew 25: Ministries Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which will facilitate the delivery of this donation to typhoon victims in the Philippines.

"At the Simon Bolivar Foundation, we wish to express our solidarity with our Filipino brothers and sisters in a meaningful way," said Simon Bolivar Foundation President Dr. Dario Merchan. "We are saddened by the humanitarian crisis facing the Philippines. We hope our donation will help by providing temporary shelter for some of the many people that were left homeless by the typhoon, thus contributing with ongoing recovery and reconstruction efforts."

The Simon Bolivar Foundation, the 501(c)(3) private foundation of CITGO, is dedicated to expanding access to health care to individuals affected by critical illness and to those who suffer from the severe backlash of poverty, in line with the social responsibility principles of solidarity shared by CITGO and PDVSA.  In the past, the Simon Bolivar Foundation has implemented similar relief efforts for natural disaster victims in Haiti and Venezuela.

CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information visit www.CITGO.com.

Matthew 25: Ministries rescues and reuses approximately 14,000,000 pounds of corporate products each year and redistributes them to people in desperate need throughout the US and worldwide. Each year, Matthew 25: Ministries impacts the lives of more than 15,000,000 individuals throughout the United States and around the world. More than 99% of Matthew 25: Ministries' cash and in-kind donations go toward programs. Matthew 25 is top-ranked on Forbes' list of the Most Efficient Large US Charities and is also highly ranked of more than 2,000 four star charities on Charity Navigator.  Matthew 25: Ministries is accredited by the Better Business Bureau through the "Wise Giving Alliance Standards." For more information, contact Joodi Archer with Matthew 25: Ministries at (513) 793-6256 or visit www.m25m.org.

SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation