PURCHASE, N.Y., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the
PepsiCo Foundation (NASDAQ: PEP) and GENYOUth are increasing
access to the national school breakfast program to help conquer
hunger in underserved communities. The PepsiCo Foundation, the
philanthropic arm of the global food and beverage company, will
provide "grab-n-go" breakfast carts to be used in 25 schools in 18
states as part of Ready, Step, Move…Give!, an employee
step-challenge created in partnership with Healthy Living,
PepsiCo's employee well-being program. These carts will provide
approximately 2.25 million nutritious school breakfasts to students
nationwide over the course of the school year. In support of the
program, PepsiCo employees 'got moving' and focused on their
well-being, while giving back to help nourish children in need.
PepsiCo U.S. employees' 4 billion steps were converted into
donations to leading youth wellness non-profit GENYOUth to provide
"grab-n-go" breakfast carts to schools, serving an assortment of
fresh fruits, yogurt parfaits, muffins, bagels, milk and cheese
sticks—meeting the United States Department of Agriculture's
nutrition standards for school breakfast.
The carts are an innovative solution funded by the PepsiCo
Foundation to tackle hunger by providing more children with access
to nutritious foods. Food insecurity and access to nutritious meals
are a struggle for many Americans, including 13 million children
who live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious
food on a regular basisi. Despite the need, there are
often hurdles associated with breakfast in school cafeterias,
including scheduling and timing issues related to conflicting
events and bus schedules, as well as the stigma that may be
associated with free or reduced priced school meals. The colorful
and well-stocked "grab-n-go" carts allow students have a nutritious
and convenient breakfast experience on-the-go, regardless of
household income, along with the confidence and nourishment that
students need to learn.
"As part of our Performance with Purpose vision, PepsiCo is
focused on leaving a positive imprint on society, and there is no
better investment in our future than ensuring young people around
the world have access to a nutritious breakfast so they can learn
and grow," said Jon Banner,
President, PepsiCo Foundation and EVP, Communications. "These
breakfast carts give the students a fun, fast and delicious way to
start their school day, and we're proud to provide these carts
which increase access to nutritious breakfast meals in schools
across the country. It's one important way we can help students
meet their goals and realize their dreams."
Lack of access to nutritious meals at home directly impacts
student performance in the classroom, with three out of four
teachers nationally stating that their students regularly arrive to
school hungryii. Research shows that implementing
alternative options to serve breakfast, such as" grab-n-go"
solutions as part of the school day has proven to be a successful
strategy for schools to increase breakfast
participationiii.
"With the generous support from the PepsiCo Foundation, GENYOUth
is able to provide funds and resources that directly and positively
impact the wellness environment in schools across the country,"
said Alexis Glick, CEO, GENYOUth.
"These breakfast carts will provide these schools with a
sustainable, long-term solution that will nourish students and
impact their ability to learn and become healthy, high-achieving
leaders."
Addressing Hunger Around the World
PepsiCo is
committed to addressing student hunger at a global level.
Since 2008, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation have provided
over $12 million of support to the
World Food Programme (WFP) through joint initiatives that align
with both PepsiCo's Performance with Purpose 2025 goals and the
World Food Programme's Zero Hunger mission. The partnership
has focused on improving the availability of affordable nutrition
and supporting WFP's disaster relief worldwide. As a result of the
Ready, Step, Move… Give! challenge in 2017, PepsiCo employees
provided 1.2 million meals for children in Pakistan, Ethiopia and Colombia through WFP, and in 2016, PepsiCo
employees' steps helped provide hot and nutritious school meals to
nearly 47,000 students in 133 schools in some of the poorest and
most food insecure municipalities in Maguindanao, a province in
the Philippines. The Ready, Step,
Move, Give program is ongoing.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by
consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200
countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated
approximately $63.5 billion in net revenue in 2017,
driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes
Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's
product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and
beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1
billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our
fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably
linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe
that continuously improving the products we sell, operating
responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the
world is what enable PepsiCo to run a successful global company
that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For
more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
About PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the
PepsiCo Foundation works with non-profit partners to develop
innovative, sustainable solutions that address challenges in
underserved communities around the world. The Foundation, along
with PepsiCo and its employees, seeks to catalyze efforts that
advance our Performance with Purpose 2025 goals related to
increasing access to nutritious servings, providing access to safe
water, partnering to increase recycling rates and enabling young
women to progress through school and be successful in the
workforce. For more information, please visit
www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Global-Citizenship
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth empowers students to create a
healthier future for themselves and their peers by convening
a network of private and public partners to raise funds for
youth wellness initiatives that bolster healthy, high-achieving
students, schools and communities nationwide. We believe that all
students are change-agents, who deserve the opportunity to identify
and lead innovative solutions that positively impact nutrition,
physical activity, and student success. For more information about
GENYOUth, visit: www.genyouthnow.org.
About Fuel Up to Play 60
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an
in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by
National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC),
which was founded by America's dairy farmers, in collaboration with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Fuel Up to Play 60 is
designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own
health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves
and is active in 73,000 schools nationwide. The program
additionally encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods
(low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains)
and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. As
a result of the program, 13 million students made better food
choices and 16 million are getting more physically active during
the school day. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.
About World Food Programme
WFP is the world's largest
humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food
assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve
nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80
million people in around 80 countries.
i No Kid Hungry,
https://www.nokidhungry.org/who-we-are/hunger-facts
ii No Kid Hungry, The Facts About Childhood Hunger in America
(2016); https://www.nokidhungry.org/pdfs/Fact_Sheet-2016.pdf.
iii Food Research & Action Center, School Breakfast: Making it
Work in Large Districts (2017);
http://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/school-breakfast-large-school-districts-sy-2015-2016.pdf.
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SOURCE PepsiCo Foundation