GENYOUth Expands Alternative School Breakfast Program to Fight Food Insecurity for National School Breakfast Week - March 2-6

Since 2017, 370 High Schools Across the Country Have Received Carts with Grab-and-Go Breakfasts

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Mar 02, 2020, 10:30 ET

NEW YORK, March 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With National School Breakfast Week scheduled for March 2-6, GENYOUth, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating healthier school communities, announced today its continued expansion of its highly successful Grab and Go school breakfast cart program that is tackling a critical issue facing American children today – food insecurity.

With National School Breakfast Week kicking off today, March 2, students select a nutritious meal from a Grab and Go breakfast cart which is set up in a centrally located in the school to provide easy access to breakfast. GENYOUth, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating healthier school communities, and its socially responsible partners continue to expand their highly successful breakfast cart program to tackle a critical issue facing American children today – food insecurity.

Daily hunger is a growing issue for young people in America. One in six kids (11 million) are classified as food insecure¹ and 13 million go to school hungry every day². In the United States overall, $77.5 billion in health care costs³ are incurred annually due to food insecurity.

Since 2017, GENYOUth has deployed its Grab and Go school breakfast cart program, an alternative model to support childhood nutrition and ensure students have access to healthy meals in the morning. Through the program, mobile carts with nutritious meals are strategically placed in high-traffic areas in schools buildings and campuses to addresses many of the challenges that have historically hindered participation in school breakfast—lack of time, convenience, and stigma associated with the singular placement of meals in the cafeteria. In just three years, 370 carts will have been delivered to high need schools, increasing access to 37 million meals among 200,000 students.

With the support of socially responsible corporations like the Arby's Foundation, Chevron, Corteva, Delta Air Lines, Florida Blue, Florida Power & Light Company, General Mills, Georgia Power Foundation, Haymarket Media, The PepsiCo Foundation, Pritzker Foundation, Sunshine Gasoline Distributors, Inc., The Home Depot Foundation, UnitedHealthcare and WellCare Community Foundation, GENYOUth is expanding the use of the innovative Grab and Go breakfast cart model in schools located in underserved communities throughout the nation.

In 2020, 100 carts were delivered to South Florida schools in conjunction with the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee. In March, grants from GENYOUth, The PepsiCo Foundation, and Pritzker Foundation will be awarded to high-need schools in California, Texas, Indiana, Illinois and New York, totaling an additional installation of 47 carts. And with more donations scheduled to happen throughout the year, planning is already underway to continue the Grab and Go breakfast cart program at Super Bowl LV in Tampa.

"Research¹ has long shown the importance of school breakfast to student success, as it boosts academic achievement and attendance, improves health and nutrition, and reduces behavioral problems." said Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYOUth. "With nine out of 10 schools lacking at least one piece of equipment to serve healthier foods⁵, GENYOUth and our partners have mobilized the Grab and Go model to get kids engaged with and eating that first important meal of the day. Now, our breakfast carts are as much a part of a student's day as history, math or science."

"Each day across the nation, millions of young students go to school hungry and lack the proper nutrition needed to learn and succeed," said Jon Banner, President, PepsiCo Foundation and EVP, Communications. "Good nutrition begins with a healthy breakfast, which is why PepsiCo is proud to partner with GENYOUth to help put more nutritious meals into the hands of students across the country. This partnership is part of our ongoing commitment to fight food insecurity and help children, families and communities thrive."

"The Grab and Go breakfast system is a game changer as it increases access to school breakfast and reduces barriers by moving breakfast outside of the cafeteria," said Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., President and Chief Wellness Officer for GENYOUth. "In schools that have a breakfast cart installed, we have seen breakfast participation grow by up to 27 percent, compared with 1.2 percent nationally. Grab and Go carts are making breakfast fun, fast, delicious and nutritious."

About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that 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 create healthier school communities. 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. GENYOUth's flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60, enrolls over 73,000 U.S. schools, reaching over 38 million students in nearly 10 years of operation. For more information about Grab and Go breakfast cart sponsorships or to make a donation to GENYOUth, visit www.genyouthnow.org or contact Alexandra Gomes, GENYOUth Director of Marketing and Development, 646-461-3056.

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

Sources:
¹ Food Research & Action Center
² USDA
³ USDA
⁴ No Kid Hungry
⁵ JAMA Forum

SOURCE GENYOUth