Last week, I joined our partners from the US Fund for UNICEF for the 2012 Annual Meeting. Partners from across the UNICEF spectrum including UNICEF field personnel, corporate donors, individual donors, and other NGOs met together in New York City because we believe in zero.
Zero is UNICEF’s goal. Five years ago, 25,500 children died from preventable diseases each day, today that number is 21,000. UNICEF’s goal is to bring that number to zero.
During the annual meeting, participants had the opportunity to digitally vote on how they first became connected to UNICEF. The clear reason with more than 50% of the vote was through Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.
In 1950, Mary Emma and Rev. Clyde Allison, Presbyterians from around Philadelphia decided to take action on the suffering of children post World War II. The Allison’s children went door to door on Halloween and asked for donations for UNICEF. Thus starting the long-standing tradition.
At the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the US Fund for UNICEF recognized Presbyterian contributions to children. The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations continues our commitment to partnership and to the world’s children.