And Now U Know’s story about Brighter Bites delivering fresh produce in new and different ways may be read here.
ANUK: Brighter Bites Works to Deliver Vegetables and Fruit to Families During COVID-19
News Type: Media Mentions
Perishable News: Brighter Bites Works to Deliver Fresh Veg/Fruit to Families during COVID-19
Read this story in Perishable News about Brighter Bites delivering fresh produce during COVID-19.
The Packer: Brighter Bites continues to distribute produce during pandemic
Brighter Bites, which distributes fresh produce to students and families through a network of schools, is working to reach them as schools shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organization, which serves Houston, Dallas, Austin, Texas, New York City, metropolitan Washington D.C., and southwest Florida, is making nutrition education available for families when produce distribution is not an option.
Brighter Bites’ priority is the safety of its employees and families it serves, according to a news release, and it is “making every effort to find distribution mechanisms to ensure” families receive fresh produce.
“While the schools we partner with are closed, Brighter Bites is working with stakeholders to develop alternative opportunities for distributing produce to local families,” according to the release. “We are also working with our produce partner suppliers to redirect donated produce and working with our supply chain to help continue that process moving forward.”
Some of the Brighter Bites efforts during the crisis are;
- Providing more than 300 families with students at Public School 151Q in Queens, N.Y., with almost 4,600 pounds of organic grapes, oranges and pre-packed pantry bags from City Harvest;
- Packing and distributing 830 bags of fresh produce at three Austin elementary schools, using product donated by Hardie’s Fresh Food.
- Distributing produce to more than 500 families at the Bethel Assembly of God in Immokalee, Fla. Harry Chapin Food Bank, Southern Specialties, Freedom Fresh and B&W Quality Growers donated 12 different produce items.
Brighter Bites will continue to find ways to distribute fresh produce to families, according to the release.
Press Release: Brighter Bites Receives $50,000 Grant from The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation
Support will impact nationwide programming, expansion in Houston and Dallas, TX.
Houston, TX (March 12, 2020) – As part of its commitment to creating healthier communities free of hunger and waste, The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation has directed a $50,000 grant to Brighter Bites to support expanding access to fresh produce and nutrition education in underserved communities across the U.S. The grant will support Brighter Bites’ program implementation nationwide, as well as program expansion in two Kroger communities—Houston and Dallas.
“Brighter Bites is thankful to The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation for its generous support and commitment to addressing the relationship between food insecurity and waste in our communities,” said Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman. “Through this partnership, Brighter Bites will be able to redirect more produce into the hands of those that need it—mitigating food waste while feeding and teaching healthier habits to the families we serve.”
While an estimated 10% of the U.S. population has poor access to fresh foods, 40% of the U.S. supply chain of fruits and vegetables goes to waste every year, costing $218 billion annually to grow, process, transport and dispose of food that is never eaten.
Embedded within the Brighter Bites formula is the implicit mitigation of food waste. By increasing the recovery of produce from growers, distributors, and food banks, and reducing food waste at the consumer level by teaching families how to use it, Brighter Bites is working to convert food waste into a public health opportunity.
“The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is excited to partner with Brighter Bites to expand their program,” said Sunny Reelhorn Parr, executive director of The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation. “We celebrate their dedication to education and outreach efforts, and we look forward to working with their innovative team to help achieve our mission of creating communities free of hunger and waste.”
Brighter Bites’ partnership with The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation will also include volunteer support from Kroger associates at Brighter Bites program sites in Houston and Dallas. This school year, the organization is projected to enroll more than 30,000 children and their families across 133 schools and 48 summer camps in eight cities.
This story was published in the following publications:
Brighter Bites CEO and His Message Make Magazine Cover
Produce industry trade magazine The Snack put Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman on the cover of its magazine this month. Check out this in-depth article about Rich’s belief that the produce industry should look at the snacking industry as the competition instead of each other, all in an effort to get people to eat right and move the needle on children’s health.
Press Release: Chelan Fresh Pledges Apple Donations to Brighter Bites in Texas through spring 2020
Houston, TX (February 5, 2020) – Chelan Fresh has made a semester-long commitment to providing fresh produce to approximately 7,000 Texas families participating in Brighter Bites, the nonprofit that provides families and teachers in underserved communities with fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrition education and tracks their dietary behavior change.
With three out of 10 children in the U.S. overweight or obese and children now having a 30% chance of developing Type 2 diabetes, Brighter Bites is working to prevent obesity and improve long-term health outcomes in the communities it serves around the U.S.
“We know that less than half of children eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily. Brighter Bites is changing that by sending home approximately 50 servings of 8-10 varieties of fresh product weekly,” said Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman. “In order to really make a difference, we need more produce industry partners like Chelan Fresh supporting our mission to improve health by changing the dietary behaviors of our families. By receiving more and more industry support, Brighter Bites will help create even more produce consumers and that will help move the needle on children’s health.”
“At Chelan Fresh we have observed an encouraging dynamic of kids naturally gravitating toward healthier snacking options when they are made available,” said Chelan Fresh Director of Marketing Mac Riggan. “If they are only offered snacks like chips and candy bars – then obviously, that is what they are going to crave and ask for. But, good news, kids also love apples! The unique little Rockit™ apples are incredibly crisp, very sweet, and ridiculously delicious. And, they are the perfect size for kids – making them fun to eat! Rockit™ is everything everyone loves about apples – miniaturized into a perfect snackable size.”
Chelan Fresh, one of Washington State’s largest suppliers of apples, pears, and cherries, has committed to providing its proprietary Rockit® apples nearly every week of Brighter Bites programming to families in Austin and Dallas through May. Chelan Fresh began donating these sweet, small, crispy apples to the Brighter Bites Austin program in December. At that time, Chelan Fresh also made a financial donation and sponsored the printing of bright, co-branded, bilingual materials that provided information about the apples and where to buy them.
“Each family typically goes home with 2-3 pounds of apples, and they are loving them,” said Brighter Bites Sourcing Manager Jennifer Boone. “Children are eating them as soon as their parents pick up their produce bags. The apples are a hit. We’re creating a love for fresh produce in children – what could be better.”
Brighter Bites has data-proven outcomes that show that two years after participating in the program, an average Brighter Bites family consumes 19 additional servings of fresh fruits and vegetables over one week. Chelan Fresh decided that partnering with Brighter Bites was a great way to give back to the community and introduce families to kid-friendly, snacking fruit.
About Brighter Bites:
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided more than 25 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than 275,000 individuals (including teachers) in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, and Southwest Florida. The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) named Brighter Bites the winner of the 2018 PHA Impact Award. In 2016, Brighter Bites won the Texas Health Champion Award. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit BrighterBites.org.
This story was published in the following publications:
Press Release: Avocados From Mexico and Brighter Bites Renew Partnership
DALLAS, TX (February 5, 2020) – Avocados From Mexico (AFM) and Brighter Bites today announced their renewed partnership to bring avocados and nutrition education materials about them to thousands of Brighter Bites families living in underserved communities in Texas, New York, Maryland, and Florida.
Beginning in February, AFM, the No. 1 selling avocado brand in the U.S., is sponsoring fresh deliveries of avocados and nutrition education materials to schools across the nation, supporting more than 18,000 families who participate in Brighter Bites, a nonprofit that provides fresh produce to families and teachers in underserved communities, teaches them how to use it, and tracks their dietary behavior change.
“We are excited to partner with Brighter Bites again this year, providing healthy fruits and vegetables to students across the country for the third consecutive year,” said Alvaro Luque, Avocados From Mexico CEO and President. “We understand the challenges many families face to get proper nutrition, which is why our AFM employees are grateful for the chance to actively participate in making a difference, especially in our local community.”
“Brighter Bites is thrilled to partner again with AFM and the incredible opportunities the relationship provides,” said Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman. “Together, we’re able to deliver this delicious, nutrient-dense superfood into the hands of the thousands of families we serve in the U.S.”
The partnership with Brighter Bites is part of the AFM Life company platform that values the heart and care that is committed to preserving the wellbeing of its employees, their families, and the greater, neighboring community. Demonstrating these values, AFM employees are dedicated to getting fresh fruits and vegetables to families in need, providing materials about healthy eating and encouraging kids to realize how much they can enjoy fruits and vegetables.
“Partnering with Brighter Bites allows AFM to fulfill our commitment to doing good, spreading health and wellness in the community, and educating our neighbors on the great benefits of the delicious, always-in-season avocado,” said Stephanie Bazan, Vice President of Trade & Promotion for Avocados From Mexico. “Education is a key pillar for us so we’re excited about the development of our co-branded nutrition education materials for families, offering tips on ripening and healthy recipes the whole family can enjoy along with the donated avocados.”
About Brighter Bites:
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided more than 25 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than 73,000 cumulative families and teachers at over 240 schools and camps in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, and Southwest Florida. The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) named Brighter Bites the winner of the 2018 PHA Impact Award. In 2016, Brighter Bites won the Texas Health Champion Award. To learn more visit www.brighterbites.org.
About Avocados From Mexico
Avocados From Mexico (AFM) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), formed for the purpose of advertising, promotion, public relations and research for all stakeholders of Avocados From Mexico. Under agreements, MHAIA and the Mexican Avocado Producers & Packers (APEAM) have combined resources to fund and manage AFM, with the intent to provide a focused, highly- effective and efficient marketing program in the United States. AFM is headquartered in Irving, Texas. For educational resources, recipes and more, visit www.avocadosfrommexico.com.
This story was published in the following publications:
Press Release: Brighter Bites Receives $100,000 Grant from Cigna Foundation
Houston, TX (January 30, 2020) – Brighter Bites received a $100,000 grant from the Cigna Foundation through its Healthier Kids For Our FutureSM initiative. Brighter Bites provides free fresh produce in underserved communities around the U.S. with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health.
The six-figure grant will fund ongoing program implementation across Brighter Bites’ six current markets — Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, and Southwest Florida — as well as key strategic capacity building initiatives to help the organization scale its impact and expand more rapidly and efficiently. This school year, Brighter Bites has enrolled nearly 105,000 people into the program, and in the 2020-2021 school year there will be an anticipated 141,300.
“Expanding access to and consumption of produce is a critical component of any effort to prevent diet-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity,” said Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman. “We are grateful to the Cigna Foundation for its partnership, which will help Brighter Bites expand access to fresh produce and nutrition education to tens of thousands of families nationwide, and address social determinants of health in order to further reduce health disparities.”
Two major barriers to healthy eating are price and time. Brighter Bites is mitigating these barriers by meeting families where they are and giving them a ‘free trial’ to practice healthy behaviors. Brighter Bites uses a simple formula for introducing healthy lifestyles to families: produce distribution, nutrition education, and a fun food experience that includes sampling a recipe of the week to see just how great produce can taste. Each week families and teachers participating in Brighter Bites receive two bags containing approximately 50 servings of eight to 12 different fresh produce items along with the nutritional educational materials.
“Giving a child healthy food does far more than provide them with essential nutrition today. It provides them with a sense of security, and supports their future health, well-being and development, and that is foundational to our multi-year Healthier Kids For Our Future initiative,” said Susan Stith, executive director of the Cigna Foundation. “We are proud to support Brighter Bites and applaud the great work they do ensuring children and families have access to fresh produce while making nutrition fun.”
Research conducted by a team at UTHealth School of Public Health has found that over the 2018-19 school year, 98% of parents reported their family ate more fruits and vegetables while participating in the program, with 96% of those saying they were able to maintain that increased consumption after the BB season ended. The team also found that two years after participating in the program, an average Brighter Bites family consumes 19 additional servings of fresh fruits and vegetables over one week. That means families are buying more produce on their own in order to maintain the healthy eating habits they developed through the program.
About Brighter Bites:
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided more than 25 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than 275,000 individuals (including teachers!) in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, and Southwest Florida. The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) named Brighter Bites the winner of the 2018 PHA Impact Award. In 2016, Brighter Bites won the Texas Health Champion Award. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit BrighterBites.org.
About the Cigna Foundation
The Cigna Foundation, established in 1962, is a private foundation funded by contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna employees live and work.
This story was published in the The Packer and the Houston Business Journal.
Brighter Bites Announces Three New Board Members
HOUSTON, TX – As a non-profit organization looking to increase produce consumption through education, Brighter Bites is working to fortify its leadership team with like-minded industry veterans. In line with this goal, the organization recently announced the election of three new members to its Board of Directors. The newly elected board members are Dr. Faiyaz Bhojani, Global Health Lead and Regional Health Manager for Shell in North and South America; Joel Grade, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Sysco; and Vic Smith, Chief Executive Officer of JV Smith Companies.
“I am so excited and honored to welcome these three newest members to our board of directors,” said CEO Rich Dachman. “They each have a unique background with diverse experiences that will make them an asset to the organization. Their membership will allow us to continue our strong momentum to expand the Brighter Bites program in our current cities and into new ones, improving the health of the families we serve through increased access to fresh produce and nutrition education.”
As a health leader for Shell’s North and South American business, Dr. Faiyaz Bhojani’s responsibilities include thought leadership, strategic planning, advocacy, benchmarking, and solution transferring across all business and community, in collaboration with HR, HSE, Business, and Social Investment. According to a press release, he is a graduate of the Dow Medical University of Karachi, Pakistan, has a master’s and a doctoral degree in public health, and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, American College of Preventive Medicine, and American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Bhojani serves on numerous boards and is actively involved in academia, professional, and community organizations. He serves as an Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology and Environmental Sciences at UTSPH and Professor, Family, Community, and Internal Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is the CEO of MRZ Medical Practice, speaks at national and international meetings, and has published in multiple peer-reviewed journals.
Joel Grade became Sysco’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2015. The news release noted that he began his career at Sysco as a Staff Auditor in 1996 and has since held a variety of senior finance and commercial roles, including Chief Financial Officer of Sysco Chicago in 2002 followed by Chief Financial Officer of Sysco Canada in 2007. He was later promoted to President of Sysco Canada in 2010 and then became Senior Vice President of Foodservice Operations, north region and Canada in 2012. In 2014, Grade served as Sysco’s Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Accounting Officer before being named EVP and CFO. He earned an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance with a specialization in international business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1993 and an MBA in finance, strategy, and marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2007.
JV Smith Companies is a diverse group of operations with farming, cooling, and distribution facilities and shipping capacities in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Baja, Mexico. The company farms several commodities including romaine, iceberg lettuce, spinach, celery, mixed leaf and organic spring mix, carrots, and green onions. Since 1991, Vic Smith has overseen all of the companies’ farming, packing, and cooling operations, including over 30,000 acres of vegetable production annually. Smith received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in economics and business law and studied finance at Arizona State University. He is currently on the board of directors of Western Growers Association and Center for Produce Safety. He is also a member and previously served on the boards of both United Fresh Produce Association and Produce Marketing Association.
These three new board members join Brighter Bites Founder Lisa Helfman, Brighter Bites Co-Founder Dr. Shreela Sharma, Steven Graubart, Scott McClelland, Ben Samuels, Manolo Sanchez, and Sue Smith in overseeing Brighter Bites’ finances and strategic planning.
Congratulations to Dr. Faiyaz Bhojani, Joel Grade, and Vic Smith on their new roles!
Click here to see the article on the And Now U Know website.
Press Release: Brighter Bites Announces New Board Members
Houston, TX (January 21, 2019) – Today, Brighter Bites announces the election of three new members to its board of directors. The newly elected board members are Dr. Faiyaz Bhojani, global health lead and regional health manager for Shell in North and South America, Joel Grade, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Sysco, and Vic Smith, chief executive officer of JV Smith Companies.
“I am so excited and honored to welcome these three newest members to our board of directors,” said Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman. “They each have a unique background with diverse experiences that will make them an asset to the organization. Their membership will allow us to continue our strong momentum to expand the Brighter Bites program in our current cities and into new ones, improving the health of the families we serve through increased access to fresh produce and nutrition education.”
Faiyaz Bhojani, MD, DrPH – Dr. Faiyaz Bhojani is a health leader for Shell’s North & South American business, his responsibilities include thought leadership, strategic plan, advocacy, benchmarking and solution transfer across all business and community, in collaboration with HR, HSE, Business, and Social Investment. He is a graduate of the Dow Medical University of Karachi, Pakistan, has a master’s and a doctoral degree in public health, and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, American College of Preventive Medicine, and American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Bhojani serves on numerous boards and is actively involved in academia, professional, and community organizations. He serves as an Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology and Environmental Sciences at UTSPH and Professor, Family, Community, and Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine. He is the CEO of MRZ Medical Practice, speaks at national and international meetings, and has published in peer-reviewed journals.
Joel Grade – Joel Grade became Sysco’s executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2015. He began his career at Sysco as a staff auditor in 1996 and has since held a variety of senior finance and commercial roles, including chief financial officer of Sysco Chicago in 2002 followed by chief financial officer of Sysco Canada in 2007. He was later promoted to president of Sysco Canada in 2010 and then became senior vice president of foodservice operations, north region and Canada in 2012. In 2014, Grade served as Sysco’s senior vice president of finance and chief accounting officer before being named EVP and CFO. Grade earned an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance with a specialization in international business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1993 and an MBA in finance, strategy and marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2007.
Vic Smith – Vic Smith is CEO of JV Smith Companies, a diverse group of operations with farming, cooling and distribution facilities and shipping capacities in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Baja, Mexico. JV Smith Companies farm several commodities including romaine, iceberg lettuce, spinach, celery, mixed leaf and organic spring mix, carrots, and green onions. Since 1991, he has overseen all of the companies’ farming, packing, and cooling operations, including over 30,000 acres of vegetable production annually. Mr. Smith received his undergraduate degree from University of Colorado in economics and business law and studied finance at Arizona State University. He is currently on the board of directors of Western Growers Association and Center for Produce Safety. He is also a member and previously served on the boards of both United Fresh Produce Association and Produce Marketing Association.
These three new board members join Brighter Bites Founder Lisa Helfman, Brighter Bites Co-Founder Dr. Shreela Sharma, Steven Graubart, Scott McClelland, Ben Samuels, Manolo Sanchez, and Sue Smith in overseeing Brighter Bites’ finances and strategic planning.
This exciting milestone for Brighter Bites was also reported by the following publications: