Holiday Help: 1,000 D.C. Families to Receive Fresh Food from TRISCUIT and the Partnership for Healthier America
Ward 8, the lowest income Ward in D.C., has limited access to fresh food.
EAST HANOVER, N.J., Dec. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the TRISCUIT brand and Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) announced the expansion of PHA's Good Food for All Program to bring 600,000 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits to food-insecure families in Washington, D.C. Over the next 12 weeks, this initiative will provide high-quality produce to 1,000 families living in Ward 8, an area that was once farmland and now has limited access to fresh food.
Starting November 22nd with additional support from Lancaster Foods, Capital Area Food Bank and Giant Food, 1,000 households in Washington D.C.'s Ward 8 who experience food insecurity will receive a weekly box of high-quality produce that includes 50 servings of fruits and vegetables for 12 weeks – for a total of more than 600,000 servings of fresh produce. To further address disparities within our food system and help nourish local communities, families will receive recipes and tips for creating easy, affordable meals at home that feature fresh produce, as well as a box of delicious, crunchy TRISCUIT crackers and tips on pairing TRISCUIT crackers with fresh fruits and veggies. Ward 8, the lowest income Ward in D.C., has limited access to fresh food. It has been found that Wards with the least access to full-service grocery stores and the highest levels of poverty and food insecurity also have significantly worse health outcomes1.
"At TRISCUIT, we believe that access to affordable, fresh foods, including fruits and vegetables, is critical to a balanced diet, but we recognize that millions of Americans living in food deserts lack this access," said Kelsey Morgan, Brand Manager, TRISCUIT at Mondelēz Global LLC. "That's why we're proud to announce our support of PHA. We look forward to working together to further address fundamental disparities within our food system, expand the impact of the Good Food for All program to a new city and improve food equity."
Launched in 2020 to support families disproportionately affected by COVID-19, Good Food for All (formerly known as the COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund) has since grown into a national movement, providing more than 15 million servings of fresh produce to thousands of families across the country. This year, TRISCUIT is teaming up with PHA to expand Good Food for All to a new city, building on the brand's purpose to weave more nourishment into the world.
"We believe that there is no true health equity without food equity," said Nancy E. Roman, President and CEO, Partnership for a Healthier America. "The Good Food for All program was created to fight food insecurity on the front-lines while creating solutions that make access to affordable, quality food a long-term reality for families in need. We are grateful for partners like TRISCUIT who support us in this necessary work and help us reach more families in need."
Good Food for All aims to engage food retailers across the country by demonstrating the benefits and market value of improving access to affordable, fresh food.
To drive further awareness of the program and demonstrate this value, TRISCUIT is proud to team up with Giant Food to raise awareness of food inequities at hundreds of stores across the mid-Atlantic. In addition, throughout the holiday season, shoppers at Giant Food can pick up their very own recipe booklet containing tips for incorporating fresh produce in nourishing snacks and meals.
The Missing Ingredients Project
This partnership is in service of TRISCUIT's The Missing Ingredients Project, a purpose-driven commitment to help support food desert communities' access to fresh produce. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 19 million people — 6.2 percent of the United States population — live in food deserts. These are geographic areas, either urban or rural, where access to affordable, fresh food options, including fresh fruits and vegetables, is limited or non-existent.2 The pandemic only worsened the issue of food access across the US.
Launched in 2020, The Missing Ingredients Project aims to address the critical need faced by those living in food deserts. TRISCUIT's three-year, $1 million commitment aims to fuel the innovative efforts of twenty local changemakers who are developing innovative solutions to advance access to a variety of fresh, nourishing food in food deserts across the United States. TRISCUIT's support of PHA serves as an expansion of this commitment, helping to effect change on both a local and a national level.
About TRISCUIT
For over 100 years, TRISCUIT Original crackers have started with 100% whole grain wheat, oil and salt. The TRISCUIT brand is committed to crafting delicious crackers that align with consumer preferences. The entire portfolio of TRISCUIT crackers is Non-GMO Project Verified, and the "Non-GMO Project Verified" butterfly logo is clearly labelled on all packaging. Visit triscuit.com for more information.
About Mondelēz International
Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2020 net revenues of approximately $27 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as OREO, belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum. Mondelez International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor's 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ.
About Partnership for a Healthier America
The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), founded in partnership with Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign in 2010, is the premier national nonprofit working to transform the food landscape in pursuit of health equity. PHA seeks partnerships that have the greatest potential to reduce health disparities. We do this using evidence-based approaches that drive systemic access to better food. In a decade of work, we have partnered with more than 300 corporations, convenience store chains, and distributors, hospitals, early childhood education centers, and SNAP-Ed implementing agencies, among others, in pursuit of our vision that all children grow up healthy and free from obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.
About Giant Food
This year, Giant Food is celebrating 85 years as a community grocery store. Since opening its first location on Georgia Ave. in Washington, DC in 1936, Giant has been an integral part of our customers' lives and the communities it serves. Giant is committed to being a Better Neighbor and has designated four main giving pillars that address local Food Insecurity, Military Support, Pediatric Cancer Research, and Social Equality. Giant is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 164 stores are 152 full-service pharmacies, 83 full-service PNC Banks and 26 Starbucks locations. Giant fits all the ways today's busy customers want to shop - whether in store or online. With 157 Giant Pickup locations and Giant Delivers available to all our market areas in DC, MD, VA and DE, customers have even more convenient options right at their fingertips to get the best product and prices, whenever and however they want it. For more information on Giant, visit: www.giantfood.com.
CONTACT:
Allison Ranshous
Weber Shandwick
[email protected]
Sarah Fogel
Weber Shandwick
[email protected]
1https://www.dchunger.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/StillMindingGroceryGap.pdf
2https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/documentation/
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