Brighter Bites Founder Lisa Helfman appeared on Houston NBC affilate KPRC on Saturday, December 14 to talk about the new Brighter Bites Cookbook and share a few recipes with the host and audience. Check out the video here!
By Lilian Diep
Tuesday, Dec. 3rd, 2019
AndNowUKnow
When two spheres of the produce world collide, it can be a great thing. Especially if those spheres are Brighter Bites and The Produce Moms® (TPM). The relationship first began when TPM interviewed with Lisa Helfman, Founder of Brighter Bites. And it seems like the nonprofit couldn’t stay away and made another appearance on the sensational produce blog’s 75th podcast episode, this time to unveil a new partnership. Lori Taylor, CEO and Founder of The Produce Moms, interviewed Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites, to discuss the focus and importance of the partnership from the perspective of both organizations.
“When I heard about Brighter Bites and met Lisa, I was immediately drawn to the great work Brighter Bites is doing. The mantra and ethos of Brighter Bites is creating communities of health through fresh food, and I love that!” stated Taylor. “I’m so enthusiastic to align with Brighter Bites, support their organization, and help leverage TPM’s platform to better advance the program, and inform more folks about this amazing work they’re doing.”
According to a press release, Taylor started The Produce Moms in 2012 as an idea and blog with a mission to get Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables. TPM has evolved into a global community of more than 1.4 million users in all 50 states and over 30 countries, nearly 100 brand partnerships with grocers and suppliers, a North American relationship with Nickelodeon and Viacom, and a national partnership with Kroger.
Lori Taylor and Rich Dachman announced the partnership between The Produce Moms® and Brighter Bites on TPM’s 75th podcast
“As TPM has grown, we wanted to make sure we were giving back, and I feel like the most important thing we can do right now is support Brighter Bites,” Taylor continued. “We can see their model working! Brighter Bites is unique in the fact that they have the data to show that the program is working. Two years after participating in the program, an average Brighter Bites family consumes 19 additional servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per week, and they aren’t even receiving the free produce anymore!”
Since its inception in 2012, Brighter Bites has delivered over 25 million pounds of fresh produce to school children and their families in six cities around the U.S., with another three to four cities coming on line in the next two years.
“Exposure means everything to us in our efforts to expand. Our strategic alliance with The Produce Moms allows us to tap into an established platform with the wide produce industry and consumer audience cultivated by Lori and the TPM team. We recognize the importance of having The Produce Moms army behind us as we continue to build!” Dachman complimented in the press release. “Instead of competing with each other, let’s join forces to promote healthy eating and snacking through increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.”
Check out TPM’s 75th episode with Rich Dachman for more on their latest partnership. And keep reading ANUK for more exciting developments in the produce industry.
This article was originally published by AndNowUKnow, which you can view here.
Lori Taylor has long been a fan of Brighter Bites. “When I heard about Brighter Bites and met Lisa, I was immediately drawn to the great work Brighter Bites is doing. The mantra and ethos of Brighter Bites is creating communities of health through fresh food and I love that! I’m so enthusiastic to align with Brighter Bites, support their organization and help leverage TPM’s platform to better advance the program, and inform more folks about this amazing work they’re doing.”
In 2012, Taylor started The Produce Moms as an idea and blog with a mission to get Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables. TPM has evolved into a global community of more than 1.4 million users in all 50 states and over 30 countries, nearly 100 brand partnerships with grocers and suppliers, a North American relationship with Nickelodeon and Viacom and a national partnership with Kroger. “As TPM has grown, we wanted to make sure we were giving back, and I feel like the most important thing we can do right now is support Brighter Bites. We can see their model working! Brighter Bites is unique in the fact that they have the data to show that the program is working. Two years after participating in the program, an average Brighter Bites family consumes 19 additional servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per week, and they aren’t even receiving the free produce anymore!”
Since its inception in 2012, Brighter Bites has delivered over 25 million pounds of fresh produce to school children and their families in six cities around the U.S., with another three to four cities coming on line in the next two years. “Exposure means everything to us in our efforts to expand”, says Dachman. “Our strategic alliance with The Produce Moms allows us to tap into an established platform with the wide produce industry and consumer audience cultivated by Lori and the TPM team. We recognize the importance of having The Produce Moms army behind us as we continue to build!”
Dachman and Taylor invite you to hear more about Brighter Bites, The Produce Moms, and the commitment the two organizations have made to encourage produce organizations to come together. Dachman sums it up by saying, “Instead of competing with each other, let’s join forces to promote healthy eating and snacking through increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.” Tune in to episode 75 of The Produce Mom’s Podcast here: https://www.theproducemoms.
# # #
THE PRODUCE MOMS, led by Lori Taylor, is a community of passionate fresh produce advocates with a mission to inspire everyone, especially children, to eat more fruits and vegetables. THE PRODUCE MOMS educates consumers about fresh produce, introduces them to produce brands, engages the produce industry with consumers in inspiring conversations, and promotes public policy to protect and increase the availability of fresh produce at American schools. TheProduceMoms.com Join the #ProduceChallengeToday!
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. 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 nutrition education materials and a recipe sample to see how good fresh produce tastes. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided more than 25 million pounds of produce and 100,000s 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. To learn more visit BrighterBites.org.
October 30, 2019
By Melissa De Leon
HOUSTON, TX – They say that not all heroes wear capes. In the case of Brighter Bites, this is especially true. The nonprofit organization creates healthy communities by providing low-income families with fresh produce and nutrition education. The Walmart Foundation also removed its cape recently, pledging $4 million to support local organizations working on the ground in Texas to fight food insecurity. $1.3 million of those funds is slated to boost Brighter Bites’ efforts. This alliance will allow Brighter Bites to reach more communities within its six cities, expand programming to a seventh city, and build the internal capacity required to support this growth.
“The Walmart Foundation’s support of Brighter Bites allows us to build larger communities of fresh food in the cities where we operate, pursuing our mission without missing a beat,” said Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman.
Walmart began its philanthropic journey in 2010 when the Foundation publicly committed over $2 billion in grants and in-kind food donations to organizations that fight hunger. In 2015, it committed to help provide 4 billion meals to those facing food insecurity by 2020. The Brighter Bites grant will factor into those 4 billion meals, focusing on produce distribution and nutrition education programming. Through the programs, parents will learn which healthy foods their kids will stomach, as well as gain access to recipe cards and tip sheets that come with the produce each week.
“Food insecurity is an issue that far too many families face every day, and we know the best way to make a difference is by using our strengths and engaging local organizations with deep roots in communities we serve,” said Julie Gehrki, Vice President of Philanthropy at Walmart. “Brighter Bites has a proven track record of making a strong, measurable impact and it’s our hope that through this work we can ensure that families have access to healthy, nutritious food.”
Brighter Bites experiences elevated success in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, and Southwest Florida. For the 2019-20 academic year, it will enroll more than 100,000 individuals from approximately 30,000 families whose children attend 100 schools, early childhood centers, and after school programs across all six cities. That’s a 23 percent increase in the number of school sites receiving programming and more than a 100 percent uptick in the number of families impacted compared to previous years.
Each week families and teachers receive two bags containing approximately 50 servings of eight to 12 different fresh produce items along with the nutritional educational materials. Since launching in 2012, Brighter Bites has distributed more than 23 million pounds of produce and hundreds of thousands of nutrition education materials to 275,000 individuals through schools, after school programs, and summer camps. The organization uses a simple formula for introducing healthy lifestyles to families: produce distribution, nutrition education, and a fun food experience that includes weekly recipes.
Brighter Bites measures the outcomes of its program to determine impact. Research shows that its model provides consistent opportunities for children and their families to practice healthier behaviors in school and at home:
Children and parents participating in Brighter Bites reported a:
Hats off to Brighter Bites and the Walmart Foundation! For more heartfelt industry news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
Here is a link to the article, originally posted by And Now U Know.
October 24th, 2019
By Chandler James
HOUSTON, TX – Last month, the nonprofit organization Brighter Bites announced its top donor partners of the year. Providing free, fresh produce in underserved communities around the U.S. and changing behavior amongst families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health, Brighter Bites is comprised of a down-to-earth group of produce do-gooders. One of which—CEO Rich Dachman—sat down with me last week so I could investigate what it takes to be a top donor.
“It’s a combination of total volume of donation, logistics, and other intangible support,” Rich said.
In other words, earning a spot on the Brighter Bites list of top donors is only a matter of lending a hand in any way possible. While the list is long, I asked Rich how other companies in the industry might go about making donations.
“It’s just a matter of contacting us. We’ll be reaching out in a broader sense in the near future, but we are in need of fresh produce to be donated in certain cities. I’d like to throw in that the food banks are amazing partners in helping us. But there are times when they don’t have enough fresh produce. So, we have our partners helping us, but we need more,” he explained. “As we expand, it costs money. We’re funded through different organizations, but I believe the produce industry needs to step up and help as well. We’re creating consumers in younger generations, and we’re changing behavior in that we have families eating produce that weren’t before. It’s good for the industry, it’s good for the family, it’s good for profit. It’s good all the way around.”
Rich joined Brighter Bites after 28 years at Sysco. When he announced his retirement from the company, Rich mentioned that he firmly stands behind the Brighter Bites mission and planned to be heavily involved in its operations as a board member. Just one short month after he officially left Sysco, Brighter Bites announced that Rich would be named as the nonprofit’s CEO.
Brighter Bites is comprised of a down-to-earth group of produce do-gooders working to provide free, fresh produce in underserved communities around the U.S. and changing behavior amongst families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health
“I feel like there’s a higher calling for our industry. I believe we have a responsibility to encourage healthier eating, to use the product that we grow and distribute it as a solution to problems like childhood obesity, diabetes, etc.,” said Rich when I asked what inspires him about Brighter Bites. “I’ve always felt like I had a responsibility to walk the walk. If we can’t represent our own product to ourselves and help people, then how are we supposed to convince other people to buy it? I think there’s a lot of people in the industry that really aren’t doing this. More people could step up. I think we have to. I know we’re all in it for a profit, but there’s a higher calling that we all have to join in on.”
That being said, Rich emphasized what to consider as we wrap up 2019 and head into a new year.
“Brighter Bites is a great vehicle to help change behavior and how families eat, and we need to expand that to be a bigger movement,” he told me. “I believe that in the produce industry, we just don’t compete against each other. We’re competing against the snack industry to try to get people to eat right. And in order to do that, we’re battling a huge consumer product budget. We need to find a way to centralize our efforts and collaborate more to convert people to eating healthy food as a way to change the negative outcomes. And I believe Brighter Bites is the top organization to be able to carry that out.”
On a final note, Rich offered up some words of gratitude for those top donors and everyone in the industry that’s involved in the Brighter Bites mission.
“We couldn’t do it without our partners. We’re hoping to get more to join in going forward, but we’re very appreciative of the partners that we have,” he said. “Generally when people hear the story, they buy in. So, it really is a matter of trying to get people to hear about who we are and what we do.”
We at ANUK accept that appreciation and turn it back to the folks at Brighter Bites, because none of this would be possible without faces leading the cause. Stick with us as we continue reporting on influential initiatives in the industry.
As originally published by And Now U Know
Rich Dachman
October 18, 2019
As most of you know, I recently retired as vice president of produce for Sysco and became CEO of Brighter Bites, a nonprofit whose goal is to help change the way families are eating to improve their long-term health outcomes.
Promoting fresh produce to consumers has always been a passion of mine. When I saw the opportunity at Brighter Bites to give back by supporting a proven way to create new fresh produce consumers, particularly preschool and elementary school children, I had to accept the challenge.
Now I am challenging you, the produce industry, to collaborate with each other to move the needle on our children’s health. Are you walking the walk? If not, how can you expect to sell something that you don’t live and believe in? Of course, growing demand is good for the industry’s bottom line, but it is preventive medicine that improves the health of our children and their families. This is a movement, and who better than us to make it happen!
I couldn’t be more pleased with the shift I have made from Sysco to Brighter Bites. It was the perfect way to give back after working in an industry that has treated me so well for so many years. And while Brighter Bites is a successful program, I see the need for more people in the produce industry to follow my lead.
The children in this country are being courted by the snack food industry in a way that puts them at risk for some really serious problems. Here are some statistics that have convinced me to become an advocate for all organizations that can help fix these problems:
The snack food industry spends billions of dollars to convince kids to eat processed food instead of fresh:
It looks to me like our competition is winning.
The reality is that the produce industry is everything the snack food industry wants to be. Fruits and vegetables taste good, look beautiful, and benefit our health. We should be outpacing the snack food industry. Instead, we’re competing against each other. Our competition is the snack food aisle and we need to come together if we’re going to win.
Rich Dachman is the CEO of Brighter Bites and former vice president of produce for Sysco.
Here is a link to the article as it appeared online.
BY JOHN GROH
OCTOBER 17, 2019
ANAHEIM, CA — Two industry icons were recognized with separate awards for their dedication and service to the produce industry Oct. 17 during the opening general session of the PMA Fresh Summit convention and exposition, here.
Rich Dachman, a longtime executive at Sysco who retired from that company in June and is now chief executive officer of Brighter Bites, received the Robert L. Carey Leadership Award in recognition for his 40-plus years of service to the industry. A past chairman of the Produce Marketing Association, Dachman also served on the Fresh Summit Committee and the PMA Foodservice Conference Steering Committee. He has also been deeply involved with PMA’s Center for Growing Talent, and in fact was recognized last year with the CGT’s Jay Pack Cultivating Our Future Award.
In presenting the award to Dachman, Joe Pezzini, president and chief executive officer of Ocean Mist Farms and the 2018 winner of the Robert L. Carey Leadership Award, called Dachman an influencer and a mentor to many in the industry.
“Rich is intelligent and a straight-talker who is not afraid to speak up,” said Pezzini.
In accepting the award, Dachman said he was “ecstatic” to learn that he would be receiving it and “humbled to be in the company of past award winners.
“It is my belief that we as an industry can change people’s lives for the better,” he said.
The Robert L. Carey Leadership Award was established in 2012 in honor of former PMA president Robert L. Carey, who led PMA from 1958 to 1996, taking it from an organization with fewer than 100 members focused on produce packaging to a vertically integrated association of thousands. His vision of bringing buyers and sellers together positioned PMA to become the global association it is today.
Vic Smith, chief executive officer of JV Smith Cos., was presented with the Bryan E. Silbermann Collaboration Award for his efforts to unite the industry behind food safety.
In presenting the award to Smith, Dave Corsi, vice president of produce and floral for Wegman’s and the 2018 award recipient, highlighted the fact that Smith donated farmland to be used to research Romaine lettuce with regard to food-safety outbreaks.
“It was no small investment, and Vic did it because it was the right thing to do,” said Corsi. “He brought people together for a common cause.”
Other factors taken into consideration included his service on the industry’s Romaine Task Force, his extensive work with Western Growers Association and the Center for Produce Safety, and the fact that he was a key player in the Produce Traceability Initiative. He has also been a longtime supporter of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and has supported many charitable causes in his community, including Power Plate, which encourages young Arizona schoolchildren to eat more fresh produce. Smith recently received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Smith said he was humbled to receive the award and recognized his team at JV Smith for making it possible. “I get to take the credit, but I have a wonderful team behind me that allows me to contribute to the industry,” he said.
The Bryan E. Silbermann Collaboration Award was established in 2016 in recognition of Silbermann’s 30-year career at PMA, including 20 years as its president. The award recognizes an individual’s collaborative leadership style in uniting industry members or organizations, including those outside the honoree’s own organization, to realize mutually beneficial solutions to an industry issue.
Here is a link to the article, originally published in The Produce News.
The Packer
Tom Karst
October 9, 2019
The Produce Marketing Association will honor Rich Dachman and Vic Smith with leadership awards at Fresh Summit in Anaheim, Calif.
Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites and former vice president of produce at Sysco, will receive the 2019 Robert L. Carey Leadership Award, and Smith, CEO of JV Smith Cos., will receive the 2019 Bryan E. Silbermann Collaboration Award. The recognitions are scheduled for Oct. 17, before the State of the Industry address from PMA CEO Cathy Burns. Joe Pezzini, president and CEO of Ocean Mist Farms, will present the Carey Leadership Award to Dachman. Dave Corsi, vice president of produce and floral for Wegmans, will present the Silbermann Collaboration Award to Smith.
“In my time at PMA, I have seen Rich and Vic consistently share their gifts of leadership and collaboration to help drive important PMA and industry supply chain conversations forward,” Burns said in the release. “Both are dedicated to helping strengthen our global fresh produce and floral communities, which in turn will help the association deliver on its vision to grow a healthier world.”
The Robert L. Carey Leadership Award was first given in 2012 in honor of former PMA president Carey, who led PMA 1958-1996 as it grew from fewer than 100 members to several thousand.
Dachman has spent more than four decades in the industry, with 28 years at Sysco, according to the release. He has volunteered with PMA and its Center for Growing Talent, serving as a Career Ambassador since the beginning of its Career Pathways program.
Dachman has served on PMA’s Fresh Summit Committee, Foodservice 2020 Steering Committee, and the Produce Traceability Initiative. He was on the PMA board of directors twice, once as chairman.
Dachman also been an advocate for the Center for Growing Talent Women’s Fresh Perspectives. “I am humbled to be considered in the company of the past recipients of this award,” Dachman said in the release. “I have gotten far more from the industry than I have given. Thanks to PMA and the industry overall for a great ride.”
The Bryan E. Silbermann Collaboration Award was established in 2016 in recognition of Silbermann’s 30 years at PMA, including 20 years as its president. The award, according to the release, recognizes collaborative leadership styles in uniting industry members or organizations to achieve solutions to industry issues.
Smith has a long track record as a collaborator who takes on challenges, according to the release. Smith has served on the Romaine Task Force, worked with Western Growers and the Center for Produce Safety, and was a key player in the Produce Traceability Initiative. He volunteered with PMA and the Center for Growing Talent for more than 10 years and is a longtime supporter of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, according to the release.
“I am certainly honored in receiving this prestigious award, more so by recognizing who it is named after,” Smith said in the release. “To follow Dave Corsi as the previous award winner is even more humbling. I thank PMA for including me in this elite circle.”
Here is a link to the article originally published by The Packer.
This milestone for Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman was also reported by the following publications:
Produce Blue Book
And Now U Know
Supermarket Perimeter
The Produce News
Walmart has committed $4 million to help fight food insecurity in Texas, and nearly $1.3 million will go to fresh produce-focused nonprofit Brighter Bites.
Brighter Bites distributes produce and provides nutrition and preparation information to families in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C., metro area and southwest Florida. The program will enroll more than 100,000 people from roughly 30,000 families for the 2019-20 school year.
Since the 2017-18 school year, the number of school sites with Brighter Bites programming has grown 23%, and the number of families served has more than doubled.
“The Walmart Foundation’s support of Brighter Bites allows us to build larger communities of fresh food in the cities where we operate, pursuing our mission without missing a beat,” Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman said in the release.
Since it launched in 2012, Brighter Bites has distributed more than 23 million pounds of produce through schools, after-school programs and summer camps. Research shows that produce consumption of participating families increases during the Brighter Bites program and remains at that higher level after the program ends, according to the release.
Participants in Brighter Bites reported higher consumption of vegetables and fruits as snacks, lower consumption of added sugar by children, and more meals eaten together as a family.
Those taking part in the program also report a two-fold increase in cooking meals from scratch and a two-fold increase in using nutrition labels to inform purchases at the store.
“Food insecurity is an issue that far too many families face every day, and we know the best way to make a difference is by using our strengths and engaging local organizations with deep roots in communities we serve,” Julie Gehrki, vice president of philanthropy at Walmart, said in the release. “Brighter Bites has a proven track record of making a strong, measurable impact and it’s our hope that through this work we can ensure that families have access to healthy, nutritious food.”
This exciting milestone was reported by the following publications:
The Packer
Produce Retailer
Chronicle of Philanthropy – Roundup of Recent Grants
BENTONVILLE, Ark.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Walmart Foundation announced today nearly $4 million in grants to organizations working to fight hunger in Texas–Brighter Bites and Baylor University’s Texas Hunger Initiative.
This support comes at a crucial time when, according to Feeding America, Texas is home to 10 percent of the nation’s food-insecure individuals, where more than 4 million people struggle with hunger, including 1.6 million children. In addition to food insecurity, only 10 percent of Texans are meeting the CDC’s recommended daily vegetable intake and only 12 percent meet the daily recommended fruit intake.
“As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is in a unique position to create effective and sustainable solutions to help combat food insecurity in the communities we serve,” said Julie Gehrki, vice president of philanthropy at Walmart BB #:143789. “By leveraging the strengths of our business and engaging with the right partners on the ground through philanthropic investments, we’re supporting innovative programs that both address immediate needs locally and strengthen the broader meal system.”
Brighter Bites
A nearly $1.3 million grant supports Brighter Bites, a Houston based non-profit focused on increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables combined with nutrition education to prevent obesity and improve health outcomes for low-income children and families.
The grant helps expand Brighter Bites in Dallas, Houston and Austin, as well as other markets in the U.S. Thanks in large part to this grant, the program has added 18 new sites and more than doubled the number of families served since the 2017-18 school year.
“Far too many households in Texas are faced with food insecurity and lack of proper nutrition,” stated Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “It’s our goal to change that by increasing access to healthy, nutritious foods for more families.”
As part of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, the Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) is a capacity-building, collaborative project dedicated to developing and implementing strategies to end hunger through policy, education, research, community organizing and community development.
The Walmart Foundation has dedicated a grant of $2,600,000 to THI for use over 24 months. The grant will be used to increase access to healthy food through learning labs, direct outreach, research and policy engagement. The grant will also be used to help pilot community-based programs developing strategies to deepen insights and create successful food assistance systems.
“This grant from the Walmart Foundation will help us work to end food insecurity in our communities,” said Jeremy Everett, founder and executive director of the Texas Hunger Initiative at Baylor University. “Our goal with this grant is to identify solutions that can be scaled and replicated to combat hunger in Texas and beyond.”
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 275 million customers and members visit our more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2019 revenue of $514.4 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.
Contacts
Blair Cromwell
1-800-331-0085
news.walmart.com/reporter
Walmart’s exciting announcement about their grant benefiting Brighter Bites was also reported by the following publications:
Yahoo Finance
Trib Talk
Produce Blue Book
Arkansas Democrat Gazette