PURCHASE, N.Y., May 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The PepsiCo
Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP),
one of the world's leading food and beverage companies, and Minges
Bottling Group, Inc., announced a grant that will support a charity
serving New Bern, N.C. – the birthplace of
Pepsi-Cola.
The Foundation will give a $50,000 donation to the Food Bank of
Central & Eastern North Carolina's 2020 Stop Summer Hunger
Program to help support the communities affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic. The funding is being announced in conjunction
with PepsiCo's Annual Meeting of Shareholders, taking place
virtually today, and builds on the company's previously announced
COVID-19 relief efforts.
The grant to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North
Carolina's Stop Summer Hunger Campaign ensures that children
continue to have access to nutritious food during the summer.
COVID-19 has reduced access to food and other essential goods for
communities across the country including 22 million students who
typically receive low-cost or free meals via the country's National
School Lunch program every day and now face school
closures.1 For these reasons, much of The PepsiCo
Foundation's COVID-19 relief efforts in the U.S. are focused on
increasing access to nutrition for out-of-school children and
families, including in North Carolina, which is the
10th hungriest state in the nation.2
"With COVID-19 devastating the economy, this summer will be even
more difficult than usual for the many children who depend on
school meals for vital nutrition," said Food Bank Eastern Regional
Director George Young. "Our team has
been stepping up to the challenge since summer started early, and
we are especially grateful that – for the fifth year in a row – The
PepsiCo Foundation has partnered with us to help provide nutritious
meals, so that kids in central and eastern North Carolina can make the most of their
summer break."
"As the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, New
Bern will always be a special place for PepsiCo and our
employees, and we are proud to stand with New Bern families especially at this difficult
time when support is needed more than ever," said Jon
Banner, Executive Vice President, PepsiCo Global
Communications and President, PepsiCo Foundation. "We commend the
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North
Carolina for stepping up to serve neighbors and thank Minges
Bottling Group for their unwavering community support."
Today's announcement builds on PepsiCo's commitment of more than
$50 million focused on serving
nutritious meals to people impacted by COVID-19 and providing vital
support such as protective gear for healthcare workers, as well as
testing and screening services. For more information, please
visit: https://www.pepsico.com/news/stories/covid-19.
About The PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, The
PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in
the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission
to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and
experts around the globe, we're focused on helping alleviate
hunger, managing water and waste responsibly and supporting women
as champions of nutrition from farm to family. We strive for
tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating
with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our
employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to
us and are of global importance. Learn more
at www.pepsico.com/sustainability/philanthropy.
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 more
than $67 billion in net revenue in
2019, 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 23 brands that generate more than
$1 billion each in estimated annual
retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning
with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the
marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the
business. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
1 https://schoolnutrition.org/aboutschoolmeals/schoolmealtrendsstats/
2 https://www.foodshuttle.org/hunger-in-nc/
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SOURCE PepsiCo Foundation