PepsiCo Foods North America® (PFNA) today announced the 30th anniversary of its partnership with Feed the Children® in the fight against childhood hunger and the 3.2 million households facing food insecurity across the U.S. The anniversary highlights the transformative impact of their collective efforts on providing long-term, sustainable solutions in the fight against hunger nationwide.

Since 1994, the two organizations have expanded their impact to more than 30 communities across the U.S. by providing food, essentials and educational supplies to those in need. Together, PFNA and Feed the Children are committed to driving systemic change by serving students, families and teachers in various communities.

Pilot program turned scalable solution

Working to address unmet needs across underserved school districts, PFNA and Feed the Children co-created Food & Essentials Hubs, a first-of-its-kind initiative launching resource rooms in Title I schools across the U.S. – allowing for consistent deliveries of shelf stable food, hygiene and household items, as well as books and other educational materials. The initiative has served more than 123,000 students and families to date – helping combat food challenges for students and families, while reducing stress and stigmatization related to lack of sufficient essential items.

Food & Essentials Hubs were created to combat the increase in food insecurity among households with children brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. With food insecurity rising to 13.6% and food pantry usage increasing across most types of U.S. households, PFNA seized the opportunity to help, leveraging its unique position as a global food leader.

What started as a pilot program during the pandemic is now a scalable solution to meet the needs of many communities. One of which is Detroit, Mich., where a food and essentials distribution event will be hosted today, benefiting 400 students and families from the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Employee volunteers play a critical role in making these events and resulting impact possible, with more than 36,000 volunteer hours completed by PepsiCo employees to date.

Reflecting on what it means for an employer to provide these opportunities, Kenneth Wright, sales director at Frito-Lay and a Detroit Public Schools alumnus, shared, "It makes me proud to work for a company that allows me to give back to my community. I'm incredibly passionate about this annual effort to give back to Detroit students in need because I lived it. Too many communities lack a sense of community – the support for each other to thrive – and I see how this partnership helps fill the gaps to ensure students have a more successful tomorrow than they did today."  

The program's success has led to the national expansion of these hubs, and this year will support 370 schools across Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Orlando and Phoenix.

Creating measurable impact

Since the Food & Essentials Hubs launch, participating schools have reported a significant increase in student confidence and school attendance. Having access to food and resources not only helps combat hunger, but it also reduces stress, improves grades and increases student engagement – specifically:

87.5% of districts felt that the program improved classroom attendance.

75% of districts felt that the program improved classroom behavior.

87.5% of districts felt that the program increased students' self-confidence.

"Hunger and food insecurity are often invisible," said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "We rarely know what someone else is going through. Through our 30-year partnership with PFNA, we've been able to impact the lives of thousands of children and families. Feed the Children is thankful for this partnership and eager to see what the future holds as we work together to tackle the important issue of childhood hunger in communities across the country."

To date, PFNA has contributed over $85 million in both monetary and in-kind donations, resulting in a collective 96,000 hungry children and families served across the nation.