PepsiCo Foundation and GENYOUth Partner to Conquer Hunger Among Students By Expanding "Grab-n-Go" School Breakfast Programs

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.

SOURCE PepsiCo Foundation

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