Hershey India to Supply SOFIT to Chennai flood victims

Hershey India Pvt. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company, today pledged to supply 400,000, 200ml packs of SOFIT for residents of Chennai who have been uprooted by the recent floods.

Hershey India has tied up with United Way Mumbai to distribute SOFIT to smaller NGOs working in the worst affected places in Chennai.

Praveen Jakate, Managing Director, Hershey India, said,"During the flash floods in Mumbai in 2005, the smallest gesture by people went a long way to keep up the spirits of those who were affected by the calamity. Any effort to connect with people who are suffering can be quite sustaining. It is with this thought in mind, that we are sending our wishes along with packets of SOFIT. We send our best wishes to the residents of Chennai in their long way to recovery. In addition, our company is allocating USD 25000 at the corporate level to United Way for their charity work. We will continue to provide support in a suitable manner during this process."

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United Way Mumbai will collect 400,000 packs of 200ML SOFIT and transport them using Hershey India's infrastructure to Chennai. The organization will then distribute the SOFIT packs to local NGOs like Little Drops Orphanage, Mitra Foundation, IRDRP and Hope Foundation, working in Chennai who in turn would distribute the health drinks to the needy victims of the floods that devastated Chennai.

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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.

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Actor John Abraham, who is associated with SOFIT, says this while helping the United Way volunteers, "Our heart goes out to the people of Chennai. At the same time, we admire and respect their courage in the face of this catastrophe. Being a nutritional beverage, we hope that SOFIT will provide them at least a temporary relief from the grim situation when food and safe drinking water is a scarcity."

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Jayanti Shukla, Executive Director, United Way of Mumbai said, "We are pleased to partner with Hershey in this effort. It is heartwarming to see people across the country reach out to affected communities in Chennai. The need of the hour is to provide Food Packets, Health & Hygiene Kits, Emergency Shelter Kits, Water Sanitation Kits, Mother Care Kits, Child Care Kits and Community Kitchens. We are grateful to Hershey for recognizing this and extending their support. As the situation stabilizes, the community will need our continued support to rebuild their homes, schools and hospitals. We will continue to work with United Way of Chennai and our other NGO partners to extend mid-term and long term rehabilitation."

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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 - Hershey India volunteered at three Mumbai Mobile Creches sites - helping to support vulnerable children of construction workers.