Community
CEOs Across Industries Join No Kid Hungry to Help Close the Summer Hunger Gap
Iconic Brands like Chipotle Mexican Grill, Denny’s, Inspire Brands, Fogo de Chão, Jack in the Box, Macy’s, Inc. and Tropical Smoothie Cafe Pioneering the Effort
WASHINGTON /PRNewswire/ — No Kid Hungry, a national campaign focused on ending childhood hunger in the U.S. announced today the CEO Pledge to End Summer Hunger, a national movement uniting CEOs across industries to help increase the reach of summer meals programs from 2.8 to 30 million children. CEOs and top executives who are among the first to champion the effort include: Christine Barone, CEO & President, Dutch Bros Coffee; Paul Brown, Co-Founder & CEO, Inspire Brands; Noah Glass, Founder & CEO, Olo; Darin Harris, CEO, Jack in the Box; Barry McGowan, CEO, Fogo de Chão; Danny Meyer, Founder & Executive Chairman, Union Square Hospitality Group; Brian Niccol, Chairman & CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill; Tony Spring, Chairman & CEO, Macy’s, Inc.; Kelli Valade, President & CEO, Denny’s and Charles Watson, CEO, Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
One in five kids in America lives with hunger. And for children who rely on free or reduced priced meals at school, summer can be the hungriest time of year. A recent survey revealed that 41% of parents struggle in some way to provide food for their household when kids are out of school. Without access to nutrition during the summer months, it is that much harder for kids to return to school ready to learn.
“Feeding children and feeding our communities should be a top priority,” says Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão. “As a food industry veteran, I understand the value of making sure people have enough to eat. That’s why I’m proud to unite behind the CEO pledge to end summer hunger. There is strength in numbers and together, we can make sure every child in America is fed. Join us in this critical mission.”
Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer Report reveals that 62% of people expect CEOs to address societal issues. Pledge champions understand that. These top executives are putting their competitive spirit aside to help tackle hunger by 1) Mobilizing their brands and industries to help No Kid Hungry raise $50M over the next three years, 2) Lending their time and influence to raise awareness and 3) Advocating for change by celebrating and supporting policies that ensure kids have access to food all year-round.
“As business leaders, we have a shared responsibility to build a nation where every child is set up for success, and that starts with making sure they are nourished,” said Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe. “This is not just a moral imperative but it’s also a strategic vision that drives our entire network of franchises to raise funds for No Kid Hungry. I am honored to join my peers to help rewrite history and make summer hunger a thing of the past.”
Thanks to bipartisan legislation long advocated for by No Kid Hungry, 30 million children stand to benefit from the USDA’s new and monumental changes to the summer meals program. Traditional summer meals programs were only reaching 13% of the kids that needed them due to accessibility barriers like transportation.
The new programs offer flexible options like multi-day meal distribution and deliveries that reach kids in remote and rural areas. Secondly, eligible families will receive $120 in grocery benefits for each eligible child. No Kid Hungry is leading the effort to roll out these changes and is planning on raising and investing $50 million over the next three years to help schools, community organizations and state agencies get the resources they need to implement the new programs this and every year.
“The expansion of the summer meals program is a huge win, but summer hunger will only end if local communities have the resources to implement these new programs” said Kelli Valade, Denny’s president and CEO. “I’m excited to build on our fourteen-year partnership with No Kid Hungry and our love of feeding people to make sure our nation’s children have the summers they deserve – free of hunger. I call on my peers to join us – the time is now.”
“No Kid Hungry’s promise is that every child in every community gets the nutrition they need year-round,” said Anne Filipic, CEO at Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. “We have a monumental opportunity to address the longstanding challenge of summer hunger and are inspired by our pledge champions who recognize the importance of using their resources and influence to help us meet this moment.”
The restaurant industry leaders that make up No Kid Hungry’s Dine Advisory Board are the architects behind the CEO pledge. They are rallying the industry to raise half of the needed investment – $25 million over the next three years. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/ceopledge.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.
Media contact
Allison deBrauwere Ruta, aruta@strength.org
SOURCE No Kid Hungry
The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.
https://stmdailynews.com/category/the-bridge
5 Ways to Make a Difference in Your Community
(Feature Impact) Communities are strengthened every day by local organizations working to address challenges close to home, whether that’s helping families access food, supporting students, expanding opportunity or providing essential resources to those who need them most. Often operating with limited resources, these organizations are finding practical solutions that make a meaningful difference in neighborhoods and communities across the country.
Many of these efforts happen quietly, powered by people who volunteer their time, share their expertise, donate resources or simply help spread awareness of causes they care about.
For individuals looking to make a difference where they live, community involvement doesn’t have to start with a large commitment. Consider these five options to get involved.
Give Your Time
Giving your time is one of the most direct ways to support organizations serving your community. Whether it’s packing meals, mentoring young people or participating in neighborhood cleanups, volunteering allows people to contribute directly while gaining a deeper understanding of local needs.
Share Your Skills
Nonprofits often need specialized skills in addition to hands-on volunteer support. Communications support, technology expertise, event planning, photography, financial guidance and other professional skills can help organizations expand their reach and strengthen their operations. Contributing the skills you’ve developed can often be just as valuable as donating time or resources.
Tap Into Your Workplace
Many employers offer opportunities to support causes that matter to their employees, such as volunteer programs, community grants or other charitable opportunities.
In communities across the country, local nonprofits can receive support through programs like the PepsiCo Foundation’s Community Impact Awards, where employees can nominate nonprofit organizations in their local communities for grant funding. Since 2022, the program has invested more than $3.7 million into organizations working on issues ranging from food access to education and community development.
“Across North America, there are organizations showing up every day for their communities, often without recognition and with limited resources,” said Monica Bauer, SVP of social impact, PepsiCo and president of the PepsiCo Foundation. “The Community Impact Awards help shine a light on organizations that are creating opportunities, solving local challenges and making a real difference in people’s lives. What makes this program special is that the recognition comes from PepsiCo associates who know these organizations firsthand and have seen their impact up close.”
This year, 100 organizations across the U.S. and Canada received $500,000 total in grants and teamed up with their respective nominating employees for volunteer activities supporting their missions, giving employees another opportunity to engage directly.
Give What You Can
Financial contributions are a valuable way to give back, but they aren’t the only option. Many organizations need non-monetary donations such as school supplies, canned goods, clothing, toys and technology. Before collecting items, check with organizations to learn what is most needed and how contributions can make the greatest impact.
Use Your Voice
One person can make a difference. When that person gets a friend or family member involved, more people can discover and support organizations doing important work. Sharing a nonprofit’s mission on social media, inviting others to volunteer or connecting people with causes you care about can help organizations reach new supporters and expand their impact.
Making a difference doesn’t require doing everything at once. Whether you contribute your time, skills, resources or advocacy, small actions can help make a big impact over time.
Across the U.S., nonprofit organizations are helping improve lives, create opportunities and respond to community needs every day. Their work is a reminder that meaningful change often starts locally with people willing to get involved.
Learn more about how individuals and organizations can help address some of the most pressing needs in their communities by visiting PepsiCo.com/about/social-impact.
SOURCE:
PepsiCo
Community
‘Give Like a Kid Again’ for Real-World Impact This Halloween
Costumes. Candy. Jack-o-lanterns glowing on porches. Halloween is filled with moments that spark children’s imaginations. This Halloween, children and families can “Give Like a Kid Again,” turning imagination into kindness and helping children around the world.
‘Give Like a Kid Again’ for Real-World Impact This Halloween
(Feature Impact)Costumes. Candy. Jack-o-lanterns glowing on porches. Halloween is filled with moments that spark children’s imaginations.
This Halloween, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is inviting children and families to “Give Like a Kid Again,” turning imagination into kindness and helping children around the world. For eight decades,the campaign has shown children that even the smallest act of kindness can travel farther than any front porch and shine brighter than any jack-o-lantern. As the longest-running youth engagement campaign in the United States, it has inspired generations of children to discover that when kids help kids, one Halloween tradition can turn into a lifetime of impact.
What started with just $17 in 1950, when a small group of children filled milk cartons with spare change to help children recovering from World War II, has grown into one of America’s most beloved Halloween traditions, raising nearly $200million to help the organization deliver lifesaving support for children around the world. Today, the iconic orange collection box reminds families that small acts of generosity can create lasting change.
“Each Halloween, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF reminds us that even the smallest acts of generosity can grow into something extraordinary,” said Shelley Diamond, chief marketing officer, UNICEF USA. “For more than 75 years, this campaign has shown generations of children that you are never too young to make a difference and ‘Give Like a Kid Again’ is about passing that belief on to the next generation.”
Beyond supporting programs in more than 190 countries and territories, donations strengthen the organization’s global humanitarian supply network, delivering emergency essentials like therapeutic food, medicine, blankets and safe water to children impacted by conflict, disasters and disease.
- Be a mermaid and help make waves for clean water. Help provide safe water for a child for a year for $5.
- Be a vampire and help scare away preventable diseases. World Polio Day, just a week before Halloween, provides an opportunity to protect 200 children under age 5 from polio with a $43 donation.
- Be a scientist and help uncover lifesaving answers. Provide 25 malaria diagnostic tests for just $8, helping children receive timely treatment.
- Be a teacher and help children write their next chapter. Provide 1,000 pencils to help children put their ideas, lessons and dreams on paper for $30.
- Be a chef and help cook up a healthier future. Over a two-month period, $10 can treat 15 children by providing 450 packets of micronutrient powder.
- Be an astronaut and help a girl reach for the stars. To helpsix girls feel confident in school, $36 can provide reusable menstrual pads.
- Be a snowman and help bundle up a child against the cold. A donation of $50 could provide a child in an emergency setting with winter clothing, including a jacket, hat, scarf, mittens, socks, winter boots, a warm sweater and warm puffball trousers.
- Be a soccer player (or referee) and help kick off playtime. Provide up to four packages of soccer balls for a child-friendly space for $25 to help kids just be kids again.
This October, everyone can “Give Like a Kid Again” through the iconic orange collection box, online fundraising and family-friendly activities. Visit unicefusa.org/TOT2026 to join the tradition and help make a difference for children around the world.
SOURCE:
UNICEF
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Community
PenFed Foundation Raises Over $1.2M for Veterans and Military Families at 23rd Annual Military Heroes Golf Classic
The PenFed Foundation says it raised over $1.2 million for veterans and military families at its 23rd annual Military Heroes Golf Classic.
The PenFed Foundation for Military Heroes said it raised more than $1.2 million to support veterans and military families during its 23rd annual Military Heroes Golf Classic, held Monday, Aug. 31, according to a PRNewswire release. The nonprofit, based in the Washington, D.C. region, focuses on helping veterans transition “from service to success” through programs and grants aimed at military-connected communities.
“We are deeply grateful to our partners and supporters whose generosity and dedication make this event—and the Foundation’s work—possible,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Bradford J. “B.J.” Shwedo, president of the PenFed Foundation, in a statement announcing the fundraising total.
At a dinner held the night before the Golf Classic, PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck recognized Ed Cody for 25 years of service on the foundation’s board of directors. Cody also serves as chairman of the PenFed Credit Union board and was credited with helping guide initiatives including Defender’s Lodge, the Afghan Rescue and Resettlement Program, the Veteran Entrepreneur Program, and grants supporting wounded, ill, and injured service members.
The foundation said it has provided more than $55 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, and military families since it was founded in 2001. It also noted that PenFed Credit Union covers salaries and administrative costs, allowing more donations to go directly to programs.
What to watch for: How the foundation allocates the new $1.2M across its veteran transition and emergency support programs—and whether it announces new grant rounds tied to entrepreneurship and resettlement work.
SOURCE PenFed Foundation
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