GENYOUth, NOLA Public Schools, New Orleans
Super Bowl Host Committee, and Purpose-minded Organizations Launch
Super School Meals, a High Impact Statewide Initiative to Help
End Student Hunger Among Louisiana Youth
NEW
ORLEANS, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
GENYOUth, the national non-profit organization founded by
America's dairy farmers and the NFL to help ensure school children
thrive by living well-nourished and physically active lives, today
announced the launch of Super School Meals. In celebration
of the upcoming Super Bowl LIX, this community-based initiative
will provide nutrition equipment grants to 59+ Louisiana schools within high-need communities
to facilitate Grab and Go school meals to help tackle student
hunger in New Orleans and
throughout the state. In collaboration with NOLA Public Schools,
New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee, Dairy MAX; and
purpose-minded corporate sponsors Amazon Access, Domino's Smart
Slice, Frito-Lay North America, PepsiCo Foundation, and The
Quaker Oats Company, Super School Meals will help increase
equitable access to approximately 9 million school meals annually
benefitting over 32,000 students throughout Louisiana.
Super School Meals kicked off today at Benjamin Franklin High
School in New Orleans with a
celebratory student event featuring special appearances by New
Orleans Saints Defensive End Cam
Jordan, and local school and government officials including
NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Avis
Williams and USDA Food and Nutrition Service Senior Policy
Advisor Sakeenah Shabazz. Over 59
Louisiana schools will receive Super School Meal equipment packages
in the coming months, including mobile meal carts and milk coolers,
thanks to GENYOUth's generous supporters, as well as through
additional support from Entergy and Pennington Biomedical Research
Center (which is providing elementary schools with Greaux Healthy
nutrition education resource kits). The equipment packages will
help increase access to and participation in school meals, which
are critical to enhancing students' nutrition security. Schools
will also receive NFL FLAG-In-School kits to promote student
participation in physical activity.
"Research shows that school meals are the healthiest meals
children receive, providing essential nutrition from foods
including milk/dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean
proteins to support their growth, wellbeing, and academic
performance. It is crucial that we support school nutrition
programs by providing the equipment and resources proven to
increase equitable access to healthy meals, especially for the
students who need them most. More than 30 million students across
the country rely on school meals for a significant portion of their
daily nutrition," said Ann Marie
Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., CEO of GENYOUth.
Krautheim highlights that child hunger in Louisiana is above the national average and at
a critical level. "School nutrition programs serve as the largest
safety net for food security among youth. With the support of
purpose-minded organizations, we are proud to strengthen our
efforts to combat youth hunger in the 2025 Super Bowl host market
and create a lasting impact in Louisiana. No child should experience
hunger—except the hunger to learn!"
- 1 in 4 Louisiana children lives in food
insecurity¹ compared with 1 in 5 nationally.
- Louisiana's child poverty rate
is 27%, ranking 49th out of the 50 states².
- Median household income in the state ranks 48th out
of the 50 states².
- The percentage of free or reduced-price students participating
in daily school meals in Louisiana
is 91.9%, with the number increasing 32.6% over the past 10
years.²
"Alternative school meal delivery models, like using Grab and Go
equipment, can help make nutrition operations more easeful and are
proven to increase school meal participation. It is awesome to be
at Benjamin Franklin High School today to celebrate the launch of
Super School Meals. I appreciate the work that GENYOUth and
purpose-driven organizations are doing to advance nutrition
security for students, and honor NOLA Public Schools for working
every day to ensure all students are well-nourished and set up to
thrive," said Sakeenah Shabazz,
Senior Policy Advisor at the USDA Food and Nutrition
Service.
"We are excited to host the Super School Meals program kickoff
in our school district. When the community comes together on behalf
of our children, we remove barriers and ensure they get the
nutrition they need so they can remain healthy and focused so that
they can succeed academically and beyond," said NOLA Public
Schools Superintendent Dr. Avis
Williams. "Thank you to GENYOUth and purpose-driven
organizations for their continued commitment to our scholars'
health supporting their overall wellbeing."
"Super School Meals is a critical part of the New Orleans Super
Bowl Host Committee's goal of driving lasting social and economic
impact across our local communities," said Jay Cicero, CEO, New Orleans Super Bowl Host
Committee and Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. "With the
support of Entergy as our community impact partner, we are proud to
collaborate with GENYOUth to tackle food insecurity and deliver the
equipment and resources Louisiana
schools need to help their students thrive in and out of the
classroom."
"Frito-Lay, Quaker, and the PepsiCo Foundation are committed to
providing high-need school districts with equitable access to
nutritious foods and other critical resources as a way to address
food insecurity," said C.D. Glin, President, PepsiCo Foundation,
and Global Head of Social Impact at PepsiCo. "Nutritious food
can positively impact children's physical health, cognitive
development, and educational outcomes leading to a healthier future
for these children and creating lasting change. Through strategic
partnerships and programs, we seek to tackle global challenges and
do the most good for the most people in our communities. We strive
for tangible impact in the places where we live and work."
"As a restaurant company, we recognize the power of food –
because if a student is hungry, they can't unlock their full
potential. Our commitment to student health and wellness is
reflected in our Domino's Smart Slice Pizza, a delicious and
nutritious meal that is served in schools across America," said
Joe Jordan, President of U.S.
Global Services, Domino's. "Domino's is proud to be a supporter
of GENYOUth since the organization's inception. Our support of
Super School Meals is a key element in Domino's community outreach,
which works to address the issue of food insecurity in our
communities."
"Amazon Access is committed to reducing barriers for
lower-income individuals to access what they need to live healthy
lives," said Nancy Dalton,
Director, Amazon Access. "We believe everyone should have
access to healthy food, and your ability to access food should not
be dictated by where you live. We are proud to team up with
GENYOUth to ensure students in high-need Louisiana school districts and parishes have
access to quality school meals."
"Super School Meals reflects the long-standing commitment of
dairy farmers to the health and well-being of Louisiana's children. We are proud to
collaborate with GENYOUth and other purpose-driven organizations to
ensure all students have access to nutritious dairy products as
part of their school meals," said Mary
McKinzie, COO, Dairy MAX.
"I am proud to support Super School Meals in Louisiana and to be participating in today's
school event. As a professional football player, I see first-hand
the critical role school nutrition plays in the lives of students.
We must all do our part to ensure students have access to school
meal and physical activity programs so children can be their best
selves," said Cam Jordan,
Defensive End for the New Orleans Saints.
Super School meals will roll out in the coming months, leading
up to Super Bowl LIX and its premier purpose-driven culinary event,
Taste of the NFL, on Saturday, February 8,
2024, of which GENYOUth is the charitable partner. Net
proceeds raised from Taste of the NFL will benefit schools in
Louisiana and throughout the
nation. The collective impact of the 2024 Taste of the NFL event
held in Las Vegas generated
$2.0 million in revenue, which
benefited over 1,000 schools and 550,000 students by increasing
access to 148 million school meals in all 32 NFL club markets.
For more information on Taste of the NFL, visit
TasteoftheNFL.com.
To help GENYOUth end student hunger, visit
GENYOUthNow.org/donate.
¹ Feeding America
² FRAC Resource Library
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 national nonprofit
dedicated to helping school children thrive by living a
well-nourished and physically active life. A catalyst for youth
health and wellness, GENYOUth has supported over 77,000 U.S.
schools to equip them with the resources needed to ensure millions
of children have equitable access to nutrition and physical
activity. Founded by America's dairy farmers and the NFL, GENYOUth
convenes a network of private and public partners, including
Fortune 100 companies and foundations to ensure all children are
nourished and active to be their best selves. With a commitment to
end student hunger, GENYOUth provides nutrition grants to increase
access to healthy school meals among food insecure students.
GENYOUth is the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a
purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience that raises awareness
and generates funds to fight hunger and food insecurity to support
the organization's commitment to end student hunger. To learn more
and support GENYOUth visit www.GENYOUthnow.org and follow us
on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee
The New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Host Committee, led by the New
Orleans Saints and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, is
responsible for planning, executing, and hosting the City's
record-tying 11th NFL Championship game on February 9, 2025.
The Host Committee works in partnership with the National Football
League to deliver a successful Super Bowl LIX while driving lasting
social and economic impact in the Greater
New Orleans area. Learn more about the New Orleans Super LIX
Host Committee at www.nolasuperbowl.com.
About USDA Food and Nutrition Service
USDA's Food and
Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food
and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition
assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch
programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4
Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and
equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to
optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based
nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans. FNS's report, "Leveraging the White House
Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of
the USDA Food and Nutrition Service," highlights ways the agency
will support the Biden-Harris Administration's National
Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House
Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS,
visit www.fns.usda.gov and
follow @USDANutrition.
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 more
than $79 billion in net revenue in
2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods
portfolio that includes Lay's®, Doritos®, Cheetos®, Gatorade®,
Pepsi-Cola®, Mountain Dew®, Quaker®, and SodaStream®. PepsiCo's
product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and
beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than
$1 billion each in estimated annual
retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo® is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo® Positive
(pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts
sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will
create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries
and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more
information, visit www.pepsico.com
About Frito-Lay North
America
Frito-Lay North
America, Inc. is the $23
billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:
PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase,
NY. Frito-Lay® snacks include Lay's® and Ruffles®
potato chips, Doritos® and Tostitos® tortilla chips and branded
dips, Cheetos® snacks, Stacy's® pita chips, PopCorners® popped-corn
snack, SunChips® multigrain snacks and Fritos® corn chips. The
company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and
Canada, more than 200 distribution
centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its
direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay® at
the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on X (@fritolay), on
Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).
About the PepsiCo Foundation
The PepsiCo Foundation,
the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements
of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving
communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe,
we're focused on helping communities obtain access to food
security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for
tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating
with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our
employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to
us and are of global importance. Learn more at
www.pepsicofoundation.com.
About Quaker
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in
Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo,
Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies.
For more than 140 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of
quality, great taste and nutrition. Quaker® Oats, Quaker® Rice
Cakes and Quaker Chewy® Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For
more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com,
www.Facebook.com/Quaker, or follow us on X and Instagram
@Quaker.
About Domino's Pizza®
Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza
is the largest pizza company in the world, with a significant
business in both delivery and carryout pizza. It ranks among the
world's top public restaurant brands with a global enterprise of
more than 20,900 stores in over 90 markets. Domino's had global
retail sales of over $18.7 billion
for the trailing four quarters ended June
16, 2024. Its system is comprised of independent franchise
owners who accounted for 99% of Domino's stores as of the end of
the second quarter of 2024. In the U.S., Domino's generated more
than 85% of U.S. retail sales in 2023 via digital channels and has
developed several innovative ordering platforms including seven
unique ways to order Domino's.
Order – dominos.com
Company Info – biz.dominos.com
Media Assets – media.dominos.com
About Amazon Access
Amazon Access is a one-stop-shop
for customers to explore programs, discounts, and features that
make shopping on Amazon even easier and more affordable like
payment with SNAP EBT, Access Discounts, and Prime Access –
Amazon's discounted Prime membership program for recipients of
qualifying government assistance programs. Grounded in convenience
equity, Amazon Access strives to reduce barriers for lower income
individuals to access what they need to live healthy lives. Visit
amazon.com/access to learn more.
About Entergy
Entergy is a Fortune 500 company that
powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies
in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We're investing in the reliability and
resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition
to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our
communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally
recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship.
Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100
million in economic benefits each year to local communities
through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is
headquartered in New Orleans,
Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn
more at entergy.com and connect with @Entergy on social media.
About Greaux Healthy (School Health Focus)
Greaux
Healthy is a public service initiative dedicated to preventing and
addressing childhood obesity in Louisiana. Fueled by over 35 years of
transformative research from Pennington Biomedical and backed by
the state of Louisiana, Greaux
Healthy offers evidence-based tools, resources, and programs to
promote better health for children of all ages. Each component of
the initiative serves as a scientifically validated guide,
empowering families, educators, healthcare providers, and
communities with proven practices to prevent and treat childhood
obesity. By fostering collaboration and providing practical
solutions, Greaux Healthy is working to create a healthier future
for Louisiana's children. The
Greaux Healthy School Health Program helps create building blocks
for behavior change and healthy learning habits by drawing on a
powerful combination of best practices, including classroom
curriculum, family learning, and schoolwide education. Learn more
at www.greauxhealthy.org.
About the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The
Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of
medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of
obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia.
The Center conducts basic, clinical, and population research, and
is a campus of the LSU System.
The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over
530 employees within a network of 44 clinics and research
laboratories, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities.
Its scientists and physician/scientists are supported by research
trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and other support
personnel. Pennington Biomedical is a state-of-the-art research
facility on a 222-acre campus in Baton
Rouge. For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.
About Dairy MAX
Founded more than 40 years ago, Dairy
MAX is one of the leading regional dairy councils in America –
representing more than 900 dairy farmers and serving communities in
eight states: Colorado, southwest
Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New
Mexico, western Oklahoma,
Texas and Wyoming. A nonprofit organization, Dairy MAX
is part of a nationwide effort to promote American agriculture,
support dairy farming and drive impact for every dairy farmer. The
organization operates five audience outreach programs: business
development, consumer marketing, health and wellness, industry
image and relations and school marketing. For more information
about Dairy MAX and its team of experts, visit DairyMAX.org. Dairy
resources and delicious recipes are available at
DairyDiscoveryZone.com.
About NOLA Public Schools
NOLA Public Schools is the
public school district for Orleans
Parish. It includes the district's administration and
elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board.
NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 67 public schools and is led
by Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams,
the first woman in the District's 181 years to serve as its
permanent superintendent. For more information, visit
www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools
on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps, and X
@NOLAPSchools.
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SOURCE GENYOUth