Each year, thousands of Australians and more than 1000 KFC restaurants nationwide dig deep in aid of World Hunger Relief, raising more than $910,000 each year to help feed underprivileged families and children in Africa and South East Asia.
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Cessnock-Kurri KFC franchisee, Julie Kay, travelled to Laos in January and spent four-and-a-half days visiting remote mountain villages, health centres and schools.
Julie was selected as one of six KFC employees from across Australia to take part in the trip, after the Cessnock and Kurri KFC stores raised more than $23,000 for the World Hunger Relief during 2013.
Julie said the experience allowed her to see first-hand how the funds are being used to feed the hungry in Laos.
“The whole experience has been quite exceptional,” she said.
“It is such a wonderful cause and I feel very proud to be a part of it.
“I think it is good to do things like this for others.
“My conscience tells me that we should.”
Now in its seventh year, World Hunger Relief is an initiative of KFC to support the UN World Food Program and other hunger-fighting organisations.
Julie has worked for KFC for the past 26 years and was nominated for the trip by Cessnock store manager, Sheree Morris.
Sheree has taken part in two previous World Hunger Relief trips, and Julie said it was important to get as many people involved as possible.
“I would love to go again, but I would give it up to give someone else the chance,” she said.
“You get to see where the money we raise really goes and the more people that get over there the better.”
During her trip, Julie said that she was blown away by the kindness of the people she met but also the tragedy of their situation.
“People have said to me, I bet it was sad,” she said.
“It wasn’t sad, just emotional.
“Yes, you can see the hardship but you can also see that initiatives like World Hunger Relief are really making a difference.”
Julie said that one of the biggest issues facing children from the remote villages was stunted growth, caused by a lack of nutrition in the early years of development.
“After two years, the effects are irreversible,” she said.
“When you see a two-year-old child that you know will never grow to their full potential – that really breaks my heart.”
Julie hopes that the Cessnock and Kurri stores will be able to raise even more money for World Hunger relief during 2014, especially during the month of September which is when the store asks locals to dig deep for the cause.
“I just can’t thank the local community enough for all of their support over the years,” she said.
“Without donations this wouldn’t happen.”
