PepsiCo Exclusive: The ‘Food for Good’ Initiative

1. For the benefit of our readers, could you briefly explain the history and thinking behind the ‘Food for Good’ initiative?

Food for Good (FFG) was launched in 2009 by a small group of enterprising PepsiCo employees who wanted to make a meaningful impact in their communities. During a meeting with local community leaders in Dallas, TX, child hunger was identified as a pressing issue. Local PepsiCo staff saw an opportunity to use the company’s logistical expertise and technological know-how to serve children who weren’t being reached by other services. After eight years of growth, FFG now delivers healthy meals to children in 18 cities across the country, providing the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow.

2. What degree of success have we seen from the project?

We are incredibly proud of the impact FFG has had on communities to-date.

• Serving Children: Twenty percent of American children struggle with hunger. Their suffering often intensifies over the summer – known as the “hungriest time of the year.” FFG has helped to address this need by serving over 12 million healthy meals with the help of many local partners. Broken down, this represents more than 50 million healthy servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, and dairy. Receiving FFG meals means children have the nutrition to play, learn and grow that they might otherwise lack.
• Supporting Communities: FFG strives to tackle child hunger and support our partners in providing safe and nurturing environments for children to learn and play. The program works in 18 cities across the country, giving communities who aren’t being reached by other services access to healthy meals year-round. This summer, FFG entered three new markets – Anaheim, CA, Miami, FL, and Northwest Arkansas – enabling 1,300 more children to be served.
• In Dallas, TX, one grandmother shared that the meals and activities provided through the local YMCA’s afterschool program have helped been vital in enabling her to manage caring for her five grandchildren.
• Creating Jobs: Our people are the heart of our FFG operations. We draw our teams from the communities we serve. This is part of how we build FFG into the fabric of each community, maintain a strong connection with the local people and deliver a better service. By the end of 2016, the program had created more than 150 jobs (100 full-time, year-round and 50 summer seasonal) managing warehouses and delivering food. FFG’s local non-profit partners create another 100 jobs each summer, providing the children we serve with physical activity and nutrition education. In addition to the professional opportunities available through the program, FFG also works with PepsiCo field operations to give our staff the opportunity to be promoted into warehouse and sales positions throughout PepsiCo.
• In 2010, Derrick Bradley joined FFG’s warehouse operation in Dallas, TX. Before FFG, Derrick was a school bus driver who found himself out of work and struggling financially in the summer months. On the FFG team, Derrick’s strong work ethic and drive for excellence quickly made him stand out. He was referred to, and hired by, Frito Lay as a Route Sales Representative and within three years, and was subsequently awarded the Route Sales Representative of the Year.
• One employee in Austin, TX was living in a shelter with her children the week before she started working with FFG. While in the shelter, her children relied on FFG meals. FFG is committed to feeding hungry children and providing employment opportunities in low-income and underserved communities.

Click here to learn more about PepsiCo's 'Food for Good' initiative.