Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, is proud to announce the release of its 2024 Annual Impact Report. The report highlights the nonprofit’s achievements, milestones, and the transformative work it has done over the past year in changing health outcomes of communities across the country. Click to read full article.
Brighter Bites NYC is proud to be a first-time grant recipient of the Guru Krupa Foundation, receiving $25,000 to support our mission of bringing fresh produce and nutrition education to families. Since receiving the grant, we have served 4,622 families across 17 schools in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, and distributed over 422,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, including blackberries, mangoes, avocados, plantains, and winter squash. The grant also supports our ability to engage students with in-class nutrition education lessons and empower parents through healthy eating discussions and hands-on culinary demonstrations.
With the support of the Guru Krupa Foundation, Brighter Bites NYC is on track to serve 8,600 students and 6,500 families by the end of the grant period. Families are not only receiving nutritious food, they are gaining the knowledge and skills to make lifelong healthy choices. As we continue our mission, we look forward to increasing our impact and building healthier communities across New York City.
SAN DIEGO, CA (February 18, 2025) – Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, announces merger with +BOX in a bold step toward advancing public health and nutrition.
Brighter Bites and +BOX will leverage its combined resources, expertise, and networks to accelerate its mission of improving health outcomes through increased access to nutritious foods and empowering communities with the knowledge to make healthier choices.
Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, announces the launch of its 12th location in Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As a press release stated, Brighter Bites will serve six schools within the Bensalem Township School District, which will directly impact close to 900 families and provide approximately 144,000 pounds of fresh produce to its participants. In addition to delivering fresh fruits and vegetables, the program will also include recipe demonstrations and in-class nutrition education lessons, equipping families and students with hands-on strategies to make the most of their produce and support a healthier lifestyle.
NAPLES, FL – Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, is pleased to announce it has received a $15,000 Food and Nutrition Security Grant from the Collier Community Foundation. These funds will support the Brighter Bites 2024-2025 school year program across all Southwest Florida sites, serving 4,200 students and impacting over 1,800 families.
We held our second annual Monterey Holiday Event on December 11th for a larger conversation on creating communities of health through fresh food.
This event highlighted the importance and need of local and national collaboration to help Brighter Bites reach success in changing behavior among children and families through their model of fresh produce and nutrition education. The event welcomed 100 guests and community leaders who attended the event, including Vic Smith of JV Smith and Companies, Steve Church of Church Brothers, Bruce Taylor of Taylor Farms, Jim Loewer of Wonderful Citrus, and Soren Bjorn of Driscoll’s.
“Having recently confirmed our three-year commitment to Brighter Bites in Monterey County and Watsonville, we were thrilled to celebrate the incredible impact of this organization at their Holiday Event in Salinas,” said Soren Bjorn, CEO at Driscoll’s. “This partnership helps serve over 5,000 children and their families, ensuring access to fresh, nutritious food and empowering communities to embrace healthier lifestyles.”
HOUSTON (December 4, 2024) – Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, partners with Bright Side Snacks, a new snack food company – offering delicious, cracker-like crisps made from upcycled fruits and vegetables – committed to reducing food waste and promoting healthier eating habits.
For every snack bag sold, we will donate a portion to Brighter Bites – supporting the nonprofit’s mission of creating communities of health through fresh food and nutrition education.
“We are so excited to launch this new brand and provide a healthier snack option for everyone to enjoy. It’s an approachable snack that can be a part of any diet,” said Lisa Helfman, co-founder of Bright Side Snacks and Brighter Bites. “Thirteen years ago, Brighter Bites started on the concept of providing healthier food options to families to improve their health, and Bright Side Snacks is an extension of just that – a healthy, on-the-go, delicious snack made with fresh fruits and vegetables!”
Bright Side Snacks are a new kind of fruit crisp cracker made simply with fruit and vegetable pulp. All flavors are made with only one or two ingredients: just pineapple, pineapple and beet, pineapple and kale, pineapple and cinnamon. Furthermore, the product offers a sustainable solution by utilizing pineapple pulp and other pulp that would otherwise be thrown out after the fruit or vegetable is juiced.
“Not only is it in the name, but Bright Side Snacks aligns beautifully with Brighter Bites and its goal to bring fresher, healthier options to consumers,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “We are thankful for the brand’s contribution to our mission and look forward to seeing them grow within the market.”
Bright Side Snacks are currently being sold online and at select H-E-B stores. If retailers are interested in learning more, please contact Lee Haverman at Lee@brightsidesnacks.com.
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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 over 65 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than one million individuals (including teachers) in Austin, Bakersfield, Dallas, Houston, Las Cruces, Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York City, Salinas, San Antonio, Southwest Florida, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.
About Bright Side Snacks
Bright Side Snacks is a fresh and fun startup food company dedicated to making snacking healthier and more sustainable. Its flagship product, Bright Side Crisps, is crafted from upcycled fruit and vegetable pulp, turning juicing byproducts into delicious, crunchy snacks. With a focus on simplicity, each crisp is made with just one or two ingredients, providing a clean-label alternative to traditional snacks. Bright Side Snacks is committed to reducing food waste and promoting sustainable habits, partnering with Brighter Bites to support healthier communities through access to fresh food. To learn more, visit BrightSideSnacks.com.
Brighter Bites received a $25,000 donation from Sun Orchard, a leading developer and manufacturer of all-natural citrus based ingredient and beverage products, servicing market leaders across the foodservice, specialty industrial and club channels.
“Sun Orchard is proud to support Brighter Bites’ mission of providing healthy food to children. Their dedication to childhood nutrition aligns perfectly with our company values,” Jeff DeBoer, chief commercial officer at Sun Orchard. “Through this collaboration, we hope to make a positive impact on families in need.”
PLANT CITY, FL – Wish Farms is championing this campaign for the third year in a row. The $10,000 charitable, give-back consumer campaign, “Pick-A-Berry, Pick-A-Cause” will be divided among three organizations: Brighter Bites, Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA), and Tunnel to Towers.
“This campaign has been a resounding success over the last couple of years. Not only have we expanded our audience with 30,000+ new Berry Lover email signups, but we are also bringing awareness to great causes to spread the ‘Feel Good’ message that is so important to our company,” remarked Director of Marketing Amber Maloney. “We are very excited to see how much this year builds on our past success!”
Zespri and Gelson’s to Each Donate One Dollar to Brighter Bites For Each SunGold Kiwi Unit Purchased at Gelson’s.
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 31, 2024) – Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, partners with Zespri™ Kiwifruit and Gelson’s to host a two week, in-store promotion running from August 14 to 27. During this time, Zespri and Gelson’s will each donate $1 ($2 total) to the national nonprofit Brighter Bites for every one-pound package of Zespri SunGold Kiwi purchased.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Zespri Kiwifruit and Brighter Bites for the second year of this promotion,” said Sean Saenz, vice president of fresh foods for Gelson’s. “This initiative aligns with our commitment to offering high-quality products and supporting the health and well-being of our local communities.”
The promotion aims to support Brighter Bites’ mission of creating communities of health through fresh food. By purchasing Zespri SunGold Kiwi at any Gelson’s location, shoppers will not only enjoy the delicious and nutritious fruit but also contribute to a cause that provides fresh produce and nutrition education to children and their families.
“Zespri is proud to join Gelson’s in supporting Brighter Bites,” said Jeanne Wilson, head of marketing for Zespri North America. “Our SunGold Kiwifruit is not only a tasty and nutritious choice but also a means to make a positive impact on children’s health and nutrition.”
Last year, Brighter Bites, Zespri and Gelson’s came together for the same promotion and raised $2,500 to further the nonprofit’s dedication to provide reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and exposure to recipes that feature fresh food.
“This type of collaboration is a great example of how retailers and produce companies can come together to support an important mission of providing fresh fruits and vegetables to local communities,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “Our promotion together last year was a great success, and we look forward to continuing to work together to encourage healthier choices.”