Revolution Foods and DBL Partners Announce New Findings Regarding Food Insecurity in America

Poll highlights young people's attitudes and knowledge regarding food security and impact of the pandemic

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May 26, 2021, 08:00 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Revolution Foods, a leading provider of healthy community and school meals nationwide, alongside DBL Partners, a venture capital firm committed to enabling social, environmental and economic improvement, today released the key findings of a national poll with 636 respondents about food insecurity in America done by The Generation Lab. The survey focuses on studying America's 18- to 24-year-olds and explores awareness and accessibility of food assistance programs, as well as behaviors surrounding food costs. The research reveals that one in five respondents are currently worried about food security for themselves or their families, and when asked to anticipate their situation post-pandemic, their worry heightens to one in three.

"The communities we serve all across the U.S. have been significantly impacted by the pandemic, and this survey was developed to understand the broader scope of how young Americans feel when it comes to accessibility and affordability of healthy meals," said Kristin Groos Richmond, CEO and co-founder of Revolution Foods. "When the pandemic hit, as a company we began serving beyond school and after-school partners to provide nutritious, culturally relevant meals to cities at large. As we continue servicing at this level, we remain committed to keep improving our understanding of food insecurity in the U.S., as well as ensuring these families have proper access to healthy meals."

Richmond explains that the poll suggests access and awareness of affordable, healthy meal options and food assistance vary:

Nearly one-third of respondents believe it has been harder to access affordable and healthy meal options since the pandemic began
60% of respondents are aware of programs available for food assistance; however, only 28% take advantage of free or discounted meal programs
Only 38% state they do not qualify for free or discounted meal programs, so that leaves an underserved gap (34%) of individuals who either cannot access the programs or are not aware of any
A little over one-quarter of respondents have received some kind of government assistance for groceries or meals in the past, and of those, 60% are comfortable receiving this assistance. Conversely, 25% are not entirely comfortable with it

According to the study, food cost was a determining factor with regard to meal habits:

More than one-quarter of respondents rank price, over health, convenience and taste, as the most important factor when choosing what to eat
As a result of the pandemic, 55% of respondents have taken some measure to conserve financial resources when it comes to their eating habits
About one in five respondents will still plan to spend less on meals after the pandemic
The majority of respondents (80%) — especially those with the lowest income — believe healthier meals are more expensive

"With these insights and more in mind, Revolution Foods will remain steadfast in its efforts to provide healthy food access to the communities most affected by food insecurity," said Richmond. "We have seen great success in our meal programs within the cities we partner with, such as the City of San Jose and New Orleans, before and during the pandemic, and we plan to continue expanding these sustainable models in the future to bring culturally responsive, accessible food to more places."

As a founding investor, DBL Partners, whose mission is to invest and nurture companies positively affecting social change, commends Revolution Foods for its continuous impact on citywide wellness since the beginning.

"DBL Partners has worked alongside Revolution Foods since its inception in 2006, so we have been able to witness the significant impact the company has had on addressing the food insecurity issue within our nation," said Nancy Pfund, founder and managing partner of DBL Partners. "We observed remarkable success early on in our relationship and remain continually impressed by Revolution Foods' ability to serve our communities in such a vast assortment of ways when called upon."

To inquire about additional poll findings and details, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Revolution Foods, please visit RevolutionFoods.com.

About Revolution Foods
Founded in 2006, Revolution Foods is committed to transforming citywide wellness and making healthy, chef-crafted, culturally relevant meals accessible to all. The company's innovative approach began with serving freshly prepared, healthy meals to students in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since then, the company has designed, produced and delivered close to 500 million meals to various sites across 23 states, including community feeding programs, childhood education centers, districts, charter schools, senior programs, and afterschool youth programs. Committed to combating food insecurity, Revolution Foods is a certified B Corporation — recognized by B Lab with the COVID-19 Impact Award — aiming to drive systems change and a brighter future for our nation. For more information, visit RevolutionFoods.com.

About DBL Partners
Founded in 2003, DBL Partners is a pioneer and leader in the asset class of impact venture capital. DBL's practice of double bottom line investing delivers top-tier venture capital returns (First Bottom Line) and enables social, environmental, and economic improvement (Second Bottom Line) in the sectors and regions in which it invests. DBL's multiple funds invest across sectors including: Clean Energy & The Electrification of Everything; Conservation & Resource Optimization; Agriculture & Food; Space/Earth nexus; Transportation & Mobility; and the Future of Work. DBL has pioneered the practice of impact venture capital with its early investments in companies such as Tesla/SolarCity, Pandora Media, PowerLight (acquired by SunPower), NEXTracker (acquired by Flextronics), and The RealReal. In 2021, these efforts continue with DBL's investments in portfolio companies such as Farmers Business Network, SpaceX, Andela, Mapbox, Apeel, Better Place Forests, and many others which have created 50,000+ quality jobs with quality benefits. For more information, visit DBL Partners.

SOURCE Revolution Foods