Local Taco Bell restaurants provide grants to nonprofits

Contact:
Bill Allmon
Taco Bell franchisee
702-880-5818
Local Taco Bell restaurants award $18,000 to assist
Las Vegas-area Boys & Girls Clubs, After-School All-Stars

Taco Bell franchisee Bill Allmon presented $18,000 in grant funds to three Las Vegas nonprofit organizations during ceremonies held May 31 and June 1. The Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas was given $10,000, the Boys & Girls Club Henderson received $5,000 and the Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars was awarded $3,000.

The grant money was provided through the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens with the support of customer contributions placed in donation canisters at Las Vegas-area Taco Bell restaurants.

At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas, the funds will be used to take 20 teens on a tour of California colleges including UCLA, Pepperdine and California State University, Dominguez Hills. The kids’ four-day, three-night visit will include a stop at a Los Angeles-area Boys & Girls Club with a strong College Bound program, said Debbie Smith, vice president of development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas.

“This funding will allow us to do something we would not have otherwise been able to do – to show them campuses they would never see in their lives. It’s an awesome experience for them,” Allmon said.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Henderson plans to use the funding to support its own Graduate2Go program which assists teens ages 13 to 18, according to CEO Ken Rubeli. The program focuses on college preparation and includes college tours, presentations from various colleges and career fairs with local employers.

The grant funds will also be used to prepare teens for future careers by teaching them how to write a resume and cover letter, how to dress and conduct oneself in an interview and how to follow up with potential employers.

Rubeli said the teens identify with the Taco Bell brand and will look back on the experiences the funding provides and say, “this place really helped me out – a known brand like Taco Bell resonates well with teens.”

Rubeli added, “In these brutal economic times, this funding is huge for us. With this money, we are able to work with a large group of teens through very specific programming.”

After-School All-Stars Greater Las Vegas plans to use the funding to support its Camp Las Vegas at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, this summer. The program provides 70 incoming high school freshman with an on-campus experience where they learn leadership skills, how to succeed in high school, the importance of staying in school and hear about post-high school opportunities.

Ranna Daud, associate director of the nonprofit, said the grant money was a much-appreciated piece of funding the camp, now in its third year.

“The more support you have in keeping kids engaged in school and giving them hope that they can go to college, the better,” Daud said. “Taco Bell is helping empower these kids so they know what they are capable of being in the future.”

While Taco Bell supports Boys & Girls Clubs and other nonprofits that encourage completion of high school on a national level, Allmon said he takes great personal pride in investing in youth and in helping to ensure that more teens graduate from high school.

“On behalf of Taco Bell, I am privileged to support these outstanding youth nonprofits that, like the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, address America’s high school dropout crisis. Programs like those of provided by this year’s grant recipients are making a real difference in the lives of young people. Knowing that Las Vegas-area teens benefit every day makes these efforts even more worthwhile,” Allmon said.

The mission of the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens is to inspire America's teens to graduate from high school and become caring, educated and productive adults. The foundation envisions reaching 100,000 teens annually through real-world experiences and help cut the high school dropout rate in half by 2018. In the past 16 years, Taco Bell has donated more than $30 million to support life-changing experiences for teens at Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.

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About the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens
The Taco Bell Foundation, Inc., dba Taco Bell Foundation for Teens (TBFT), a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation, is committed to addressing the growing number of high school dropouts in the U.S. by providing teens with mentors and real-world experiences that motivate them to stay in school, graduate and achieve more in life. Since 1995, TBFT has donated more than $30 million to support teen programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of America and other teen-serving organizations. TBFT has done this with the help of ongoing customer, franchisee and employee donations. For more information about TBFT, visit www.tacobellfoundationforteens.org.

About Taco Bell Corp.
Taco Bell Corp. ("Taco Bell"), a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE: YUM), is the nation's leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, signature quesadillas, Grilled Stuft Burritos, nachos, and other specialty items such as Crunchwrap Supreme®, in addition to the 79-89-99 WHY PAY MORE™! Value Menu. Taco Bell serves more than 36.8 million consumers each week in nearly 5,600 restaurants in the U.S.


About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has enabled young people, especially those who need Clubs most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.