The UPS Foundation Supports Its Global Network of Humanitarian Partners to Combat the Impacts of the COVID-19 Around the World

The UPS Foundation, which leads the global citizenship programs for UPS, announced it has expanded its response to the novel Coronavirus, including new grant allocations, surpassing $6 million to United Nations agencies, humanitarian relief partners and community-based non-profit and international non-government organizations.

The relief support includes collaboration with more than a dozen organizations and the provision of in-kind transportation, supply chain consultation, and cash contributions to expedite the distribution of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and other life-sustaining activities for impacted individuals and communities.

“The UPS Foundation and UPS have extensive experience in helping communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from sudden onset and prolonged crises. That expertise enables us to provide critical support to our partners during this unprecedented time of need,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and UPS chief diversity and inclusion officer.

“The public-private partnerships we have developed around the world span years – even decades in some cases. We’re able to work together, inspire each other, and rapidly deploy our support and logistics expertise toward meaningful actions to drive life-sustaining results,” he continued.

The new grant allocations will be provided to the following agencies:

• United Way Worldwide: Providing families, children and the elderly with critical support, including food and financial assistance to aid in recovery.

• American Red Cross: The organization is now facing a severe blood shortage due to the unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations. Funding will help sustain the vital blood supply needed by public health systems across America.

• Salvation Army: Bringing shelter and feeding programs to the most vulnerable people in our communities.

• Operation Hope: Supporting the national response infrastructure in partnership with FEMA and the American Red Cross for individuals and small businesses in need. National counseling centers will provide emergency budgeting consultation and creditor management guidance to workers placed at risk by income interruptions.

• Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP): Providing strategic council on private sector engagement efforts, including home food delivery and medical assistance to the elderly and other vulnerable individuals.

• Good360: Providing needed materials for healthcare providers, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies and cleaning kits.

• UNICEF: Providing aid to countries and regions lacking the healthcare infrastructure and social support systems needed to address novel Coronavirus needs.

• World Food Programme (WFP): Overseeing and implementing the supply chain and delivery of critical supplies for all United Nations agencies and maintaining lifesaving operations, including prepositioning stocks of food, mobile warehouses and tents for immediate delivery.

• CARE: Supporting vulnerable populations in more than 19 countries by pre-positioning emergency supplies, providing water and handwashing stations, and hygiene kits, and providing self-isolation kits for rapid response teams.

• United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR): Prepositioning plastic tarpaulins and other needed items, and providing emergency funding to support displaced families and help prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus among displaced families.

• International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC): Supporting community-based health activities, access to basic services, and information management, all crucial to controlling the spread of the virus.

• NVOAD: Supporting vulnerable populations by providing food, shelter and other social support.

The new grants are in addition to support provided previously, through which The UPS Foundation and medical product donors and relief partners MAP International, MedShare and Good360 provided more than 4 million respirator masks, 11,000 protective suits and 280,000 nitrile gloves to healthcare workers.

Most recently, UPS announced its participation in the White House Rapid-Response Taskforce for Coronavirus Testing Sites, providing logistics planning and operations to support drive-up patient test facilities and deliver test kits and test samples.

The UPS Foundation is a key consultative partner with the global coalitions organizing private sector engagement, including the Private Sector Roundtable of the Global Health Security Agenda, the World Economic Forum Pandemic Supply Chain Network and the World Economic Forum COVID Action Platform.

In 2019, The UPS Foundation responded to 28 major world disasters, providing in-kind support of humanitarian aid and relief across 74 countries – almost $6.5 million worth of in-kind services – including loaned experts and relief shipments leveraging UPS’s owned and contracted global network in the air, on the ground, by rail and on the ocean. Throughout 2019, The UPS Foundation invested more than $20 million in funding, in-kind, and technical support for community safety initiatives to enhance preparedness, urgent disaster response and recovery, public health strengthening, and road safety.