Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Barco and Wendy’s – A Shared Commitment to Improving the Lives of Children

Apr 19, 2017 3:30 PM ET
Campaign: The Square Deal

The Square Deal Blog

At Wendy’s, we have the privilege of working with some of the world’s best companies who supply everything we need to operate a best in class restaurant system. Our purpose is to provide joy and opportunity through food, family, and community, and we love sharing stories and celebrating suppliers who also embrace a commitment to a higher purpose in the communities in which they operate.

We’ve mentioned before that Give Something Back is one of our brand’s core values, and it’s important that our suppliers embrace that value, too. 

Barco, Wendy’s uniform supplier, has not only been a great supplier to our system, but a great partner to our brand charity of choice, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® (DTFA).  Barco started their Hats Off program several years ago and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every Wendy’s crew hat is donated to the DTFA.  Their founder, Michael Donner, is also on the DTFA’s Supplier Advisory Council.  Everyone at Wendy’s is thankful to have Barco as a partner on our journey to find forever families for children in foster care. 

Michael and Frida Donner founded the Barco’s Nightingale Foundation in 2008 to “improve the lives of children around the world” by providing clean water, food, clothing, and medical care to those in need.

In 2012, Barco’s Nightingale Foundation built its first solar water well at a school in Anse di Pitres, Haiti to provide clean water to the teachers and school children.  One year later, the Foundation began to provide the school with 600 daily hot lunches, and that number has since grown to 3,000 lunches per day.  The clean water and food has allowed the children to thrive in school and has improved their overall health and well-being. 

Barco’s leaders have set some exciting goals for their Foundation:

  • On April 1, 2017, they’ll add another 1,525 lunches to the daily hot lunch program, bringing the total to 4,525.
  • By September 1, 2017, they hope to feed 6,000 students through the daily hot lunch program
  • By the end of 2018, they hope to feed 9,000 students a hot lunch every day

Donner visited Haiti last month and was able to see first-hand the impact Barco’s Nightingales Foundation is making in the five remote villages where they provide daily hot lunches, and large crowds of parents and children gathered to sing songs and offer their thanks.  

“Our Haitian family are the most humble and courageous people that I know,” Michael told us. “They far surpass anything I have witnessed before. I have learned a great deal from them especially NEVER GIVE UP.”

Thank you, Barco, for your compassion and your exceptional commitment to improving the lives of others.

You can read more about Michael’s recent trip to Haiti on Barco’s Nightingales Foundation blog.