News Type: Media Mentions

Julie Reisler Podcast Features Lisa Helfman

Posted on April 26, 2018 by -

Brighter Bites Founder Lisa Helfman was recently the featured guest on life-coach Julie Reisler‘s podcast “The You-est You.” Julie Reisler is an author, motivational speaker, and life coach who urges her large audience to connect with their authentic selves to find their purpose in life.  Each of her weekly podcasts feature “an empowering interview with a thought leader, entrepreneur, or deeply inspirational human being who will give you a peek inside their journey to finding purpose on the planet and becoming their most authentic selves.”

Lisa and Julie had a great conversation about trusting your gut, following your intuition, and becoming self-aware in order to live your “you-est” life. Lisa described how self-awareness helped her home in on her passion for the power of produce, which led to the creation of Brighter Bites. Lisa also discussed her goal for Brighter Bites to create change in the lives of everyone it serves and her vision for Brighter Bites as a growing movement to change the way people see food — as a source of health rather than just satiation.

Check out the podcast here!

WINK News Covers Brighter Bites’ Launch in Southwest Florida

Posted on April 26, 2018 by -

Brighter Bites’ official launch in Southwest Florida was covered by WINK News, the CBS Naples, FL affiliate station. Read their coverage below.

Brighter Bites provides free and healthy food to Immokalee families

A new partnership is fighting “food deserts” in parts of Southwest Florida that were hit by Hurricane Irma.

“Food deserts are defined as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas,” according to the USDA. “This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers.”

Immokalee is one area where children don’t always see healthy food on their plates. 99 percent of students in the area qualify for free lunch, according to school officials.

Hurricane Irma ravaged the Immokalee community which was already struggling.

That’s where Brighter Bites comes to the rescue.

“Not only are we getting them food but we’re giving them education and teaching them how to use it,” said Lisa Helfman, founder of Brighter Bites.

Brighter Bites is teaming up with Harry Chapin and Lipman Farms to help families access and learn about free healthy produce.

The free produce saves families about $35 a week.

Sponsors brought the group in from Texas. Helfman says these meals aren’t just a temporary fix. The program is built to form habits and children are eager to get their fruits and veggies each week.

“It’s fun and it’s becoming a part of the fabric of their lives,” said Helfman.”

In fact, 94 percent of families report that they eat all of the produce provided weekly.

The program will expand to more schools and the Boys and Girls Club summer camp.

To register for those camps, you can visit the Boys and Girls Club website.”

Watch WINK’s video coverage here.

Program Directors Recognized as Walmart Community Playmakers

Posted on March 23, 2018 by -

Brighter Bites is thrilled to recognize two superstar program directors: Alicia Farhat of Dallas and Melanie Button of New York City. Alicia and Melanie were recently honored by the Walmart Community Playmaker Program, which recognizes individuals dedicated to improving the lives of others and being a force for good in their communities. Alicia received her Walmart Community Playmaker award at a Dallas Mavericks basketball game, and Melanie received her award at a New York Knicks game.

Alicia Farhat joined Brighter Bites in the summer of 2014, leading the Brighter Bites’ expansion into Dallas, the organization’s second city. Alicia now leads a team of five full-time staff, serving 15 schools and nearly 4,000 families. Alicia additionally works with the North Texas Food Bank and other produce suppliers to send our families home with a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Brighter Bites Dallas Program Director Alicia Farhat receives her Community Playmaker Award at a Dallas Mavericks game.

Melanie Button joined Brighter Bites in 2017 to lead our first program outside of Texas. Melanie oversees everything Brighter Bites in New York City, including programs in two schools in Queens and our relationships with City Harvest, D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of New York, Inc. and other produce donors.

Brighter Bites NYC Program Director Melanie Button receiving her Community Playmaker Award at a New York Knicks game, pictured with former New York Knicks player Larry Johnson.

Congrats Alicia and Melanie!

 

Brighter Bites on the Radio

Posted on October 11, 2017 by -

If you thought you heard a familiar voice on the radio a few weeks ago, you were right! On September 26, Brighter Bites’ founder Lisa Helfman made a radio appearance on KPFT Houston 90.1 to talk about Brighter Bites’ origin and impact with Eco-Ology hosts Pat Greer and HC Clark. Pat was excited to learn about the Brighter Bites model, calling our work the “best, grandest, most exciting definition of sustainability.”

Lisa answered Pat and HC’s questions about Brighter Bites’ beginnings, explaining how her family’s participation in a food co-op changed her sons’ eating habits and sparked the idea that the eating habits of underprivileged children could be changed with an increased exposure to fresh produce. She described her very first brainstorming session at an NBA basketball game and how the invitation to work with students at one KIPP school grew into a relationship with produce distributors and nutrition educators and quickly become the Brighter Bites we know today.

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Pat and HC asked questions ranging from government support to classroom impact and how Brighter Bites is changing food desert communities. When probed about Brighter Bites’ relationship to public health, Lisa answered that “somehow as a society we have forgotten to make food and healthy eating a priority for health. If we can get produce out and blanket the world with healthier food, people just start picking it up on their own.”

Lisa continued to describe how Brighter Bites is aiming to change eating habits everywhere by increasing demand for fresh produce and thus its availability. “I’m out here to have a national conversation about what this change in eating can do,” she explained.

Pat and HC led an incredible conversation about access to produce in the US and what Brighter Bites is doing about it. At the end of the interview, Pat nailed Lisa’s sentiments about food waste in the US: “There’s not a hunger problem, there’s a distribution problem.”

To listen to the full conversation, tune in here and select the Tuesday, September 26 episode.

 

Brighter Bites Featured in Edible Dallas & Fort Worth

Posted on September 1, 2017 by -

We are thrilled to shine a bright light on our Brighter Bites Dallas team, which was featured in the fall 2017 issue of Edible Dallas & Fort Worth. Edible DFW writer Terri Taylor visited a Brighter Bites distribution site earlier this year to experience the Brighter Bites formula of produce distribution + nutrition education + fun food experience.

Check out the story here.

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WFAA News Features Brighter Bites Dallas Team

Posted on August 3, 2017 by -

Brighter Bites families and volunteers from Park South YMCA were featured on WFFA8, the ABC affiliate station in Dallas, this Thursday moring. Participants excitedly reflected on their recent experiences cooking and tasting new fruits and vegetables they would otherwise never have tried without Brighter Bites.

“People aren’t adventurous like that when you don’t have the money. They don’t want to take a chance on buying edamame, and you don’t like it, and now the money is gone and you’re still hungry,” said Rodrigua Ross, executive director of Park South YMCA. This is where Brighter Bites comes in to offer a risk free way to explore fresh foods.

To hear more from Ross and other Brighter Bites participants watch the full video HERE

The Facts Features New Brighter Bites Program in Freeport.

Posted on March 31, 2017 by -

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On Thursday March 30th,  The Facts reporter Erinn Callahan visited O.A. Fleming Elementary School in Freeport to report on the newest Texas chapter of the Brighter Bites program. She experienced first hand the thrill of a produce bagging as volunteers from the school community worked quickly to transform the cafeteria into a well oiled produce-packing assembly line.

Read the full story Here.