LOUISVILLE, Ky., October 13, 2022 /CSRwire/ -- The KFC Foundation has done some finger lickin' good, awarding 50 deserving non-profit organizations across the U.S. a combined total of $500,000 in Kentucky Fried Wishes grants. Kentucky Fried Wishes is a community-based grant program that encourages eligible* KFC restaurant employees to positively impact their local communities by nominating a non-profit organization to receive $10,000 to support a community development project.

"Year after year, we continue to be inspired by the amazing Kentucky Fried Wishes nominations submitted by KFC restaurants across the nation. We are proud to award a record half a million dollars in grant funding this year," said Emma Horn, Executive Director of the KFC Foundation. "It's extra meaningful to celebrate these non-profits during the Colonel's birthday month. He would be proud of how KFC team members are investing in their communities and supporting organizations that are doing some finger lickin' good!"

KFC's Founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, would have been 132 years old on September 9. Inspired by the Colonel and his guiding principle to "never pass anybody up," the KFC Foundation carries on his legacy of doing good, which is why the KFC Foundation awards Kentucky Fried Wishes grant recipients around his birthday.

This year's non-profit grant recipients span 25 different states and support various causes and communities, including:

Family & Children's Association was nominated by KFC restaurant employees for its long-lasting impact on the youth in Long Island, NY. The local KFC general manager has even employed five residents from the organization to work at the franchisee-owned restaurant. The Family & Children's Association works to protect and strengthen Long Island's most vulnerable children, families, seniors and communities. The Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will be used to fund an outdoor healing garden, designed to improve the mental and physical well-being of the residents.

Community Bike Works, based in Allentown, PA, connects youth ages 9-18 with adult mentors who teach them life lessons through their Earn a Bike program. While working on their bikes, students practice life skills by working collaboratively, solving problems, learning perseverance and experiencing the satisfaction of turning a broken bike into a functional one. Their Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will help purchase bicycle helmets and the necessary tools for bicycle mechanic training.

Live Like Madison is a cause that was created in memory of 7-year-old Madison Fedak's fight against cancer. Madison's "never give up" attitude inspired the organization's programs that promote courage and comfort for children who suffer from the disease. The Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will help fund toy chests housed at three children's hospitals in the Laurinburg, NC, area.

In 2021, the Kentucky Fried Wishes program donated $110,000 in grants and made 11 nonprofit organizations' wishes come true. This year, the program funded more than quadruple the wishes due to the continued support of KFC franchisees, the KFC Corporation, and participation in the Round Up fundraising program at local KFC restaurants. To learn more about the 50 Kentucky Fried Wishes grant recipients, visit kfcfoundation.org.

The KFC Foundation supports and empowers KFC restaurant employees to be their best selves by providing education opportunities, hardship assistance and more. The Kentucky Fried Wishes program is one of five charitable programs that the KFC Foundation offers KFC restaurant employees across the U.S. including the REACH Educational Grant Program, Rise with GEDWorks, KFC Family Fund and MyChange.

Operating independently from KFC Corporation and led by a board including KFC franchisees, the KFC Foundation receives its financial support from Round Up fundraising and its annual donation program, a voluntary program where KFC franchisees elect to contribute a portion of their restaurant sales of Secret Recipe Fries to engage in and support the Foundation's initiatives.

*To be eligible for Kentucky Fried Wishes and any of the KFC Foundation's charitable assistance programs, employees must work at a KFC restaurant in the U.S. that is participating in the KFC Foundation's 2022 annual donation program.

References to "KFC" "KFC Family" "we" and "our" refer to KFC's corporately owned restaurants and independently owned and operated franchises. Franchisees are the exclusive employer of their employees and as such are solely responsible for all employment related matters, including wage setting and benefits, in their restaurants.

About the KFC Foundation

The KFC Foundation, an independent 501c3 organization, has provided over $25 million to more than 9,000 KFC U.S. restaurant employees and students through education, hardship assistance and personal finance programs, and more. The KFC Foundation's charitable programs are made possible through the generosity of KFC's many franchisees, KFC Corporation, vendors, and other individual donors.

SOURCE KFC

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, has over 54,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories, operating the Company’s brands – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. The Company’s family of brands also includes The Habit Burger Grill, a fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. Yum! Brands was named to the 2021 Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and was ranked on Newsweek’s list of 2021 America’s Most Responsible Companies. In 2022, Yum! Brands was named to 3BL Media’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens.

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