Brighter Bites released its annual report. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has distributed more than 60 million pounds of fresh produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than 1 million individuals.
Readers will get a closer look at Brighter Bites’ financials, the partnerships that make its mission possible, information about the unique produce distributed, and a general look back at 2023. The annual report also contains information about plans for 2024.
LAS CRUCES, NM – We announced in November 2023 that Brighter Bites was introducing its 11th location in Phoenix, Arizona. Now, the organization is announcing its 12th location in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with the kickoff of its first program season in the community. Brighter Bites is serving six public schools within Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS), which is directly impacting close to 600 families and providing approximately 20 lbs of fresh produce to participants every other week.
“We aim to improve health outcomes starting with the children and families in under-resourced communities by providing fresh produce and nutrition education,” said Mike Pomeroy, Vice President of Operations at Brighter Bites. “Our ultimate goal is to create behavior change that improves children’s health, especially among populations who are disproportionately vulnerable to developing obesity and diet-related diseases. When successful, we can eliminate health disparities and address health equity.”
We cover a number of gourmet restaurants, booming burger joints and primo pizza parlors here in the Houston Press. And as much as we enjoy scouting out new cafes and happy hour hotspots, we also realize that a large number of Houstonians not only lack the means to dine out but also face hunger within their homes as well.
We are a massively spread out city and arguably the most diverse in the nation. And meeting the needs of those facing food insecurity is a daunting task. One organization alone cannot serve all of Houston’s families and residents in need. Houston Food Bank, the nation’s largest food bank network, serves 18 southeast Texas counties. That’s a lot of people to feed.
There are other organizations, however, that also have arisen in the past few years to provide more than just boxes of non-perishable foods, but also fresh produce and education. Working together, these non-profits benefit those in need of food and healthy habits. And some of them have experienced some big boosts lately in their efforts to do so.
Brighter Bites
Brighter Bites, which began in 2012, is the brainchild of founder and board chair Lisa Helfman and co-founder Dr. Shreela Sharma. Helfman attributes her inspiration for the non-profit to her decision years ago to take part in a weekly fruit and vegetable co-op to provide fresh produce for her family. One day her 6-year-old son, now a young man seated in the audience, turned down a slice of cake at a party because it was too sweet and asked instead for some berries. Helfman says she realized then that exposing children to healthy foods could make a difference but that not all children have access to fresh produce.
She began a collaboration with Dr. Sharma, a nutrition expert and professor of epidemiology at UTHealth School of Public Health. They started with local schools, providing fruits and vegetables donated by produce partners. Some students did not even recognize the different berries, citrus and greens.
Three commitments to improve food security, diet quality, and health outcomes for vulnerable communities, made by UTHealth Houston in partnership with local and national organizations, have been approved as part of the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities.
The challenge, which was sent to national organizations by invitation only, is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
“Through these collective efforts, UTHealth Houston and its partners in public health will create pathways to provide produce to millions of people in the United States, including children and high-risk pregnant mothers, with a focus on improving nourishment and nutrition, and eliminating food insecurity and food waste,” said Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, UTHealth Houston president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair.
Fresh produce nonprofit organization Brighter Bites has become a National Strategic Partner for MyPlate.
Brighter Bites joins other retailers, restaurants, suppliers and media outlets that have partnered with MyPlate to support the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans and help consumers across the country develop healthy lifestyles.
“We are proud to be a partner of an organization that not only matches our mission but also reaches so many families and individuals nationwide with an approachable guide to healthy eating,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “As we continue to grow our program and reach more families nationwide, we are honored to be surrounded by so many other companies with similar goals. What an exciting and impactful group to join!”
That’s a wrap!
Brighter Bites finished up our fall 2019 programming season after distributing an estimated 2.5 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables at 100 program sites nationwide! This semester, nearly 19,000 families and over 3,000 teachers participated in our six programs across the country, spanning Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Southwest Florida. Throughout the programming season, over 408,000 pieces of nutrition education (like handbooks, how-to produce guides, shopping and planning advice, healthy-eating tips and tricks, and recipes) made their way into the hands of thousands of participating families.
We can’t wait to come back next spring to continue creating communities of health through fresh food!
Brighter Bites partners with City Harvest in New York City to implement our program at several sites in Queens. The Queens Chronicle profiled Brighter Bites in an article, reporting on our program’s mission to help families eat healthier with free fresh produce, nutritional education, and fun food experiences. Read more about it here!
Media Contact:
Stefanie Cousins
Stefanie.Cousins@brighterbites.org
919-360-4156
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nutrition Education Nonprofit Honored With Prestigious Award from Partnership for a Healthier America
National nonprofit Brighter Bites wins Impact Award from organization creating solutions to ensure children will live healthier lives
Houston, TX (August 6, 2018) — Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), the nonpartisan nonprofit creating solutions to ensure that all children and young adults will live healthier lives announced today that Brighter Bites will receive its annual Impact Award at the September 27 gala in Washington, DC. The PHA Impact Award is presented each year to a group or individual working at the community level to help build a healthier future.
“We are proud to present Brighter Bites with this year’s Impact Award for its service to local communities across the country,” said PHA President and CEO Nancy E. Roman. “Brighter Bites is helping to create access and instill habits around fresh food that has life-long health benefits.”
Brighter Bites was co-founded by Lisa Helfman and Dr. Shreela Sharma in Houston, Texas. Since its founding in 2012, Brighter Bites has donated over 17 million pounds of fresh produce, and 100,000s of nutrition education materials to over 53,000 families struggling to access or afford nutritious food. Brighter Bites programs and nutrition education materials are currently delivered through six programs based in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Southwestern Florida, Washington, DC, and New York City.
The PHA Impact Award recognizes organizations that demonstrate a measurable impact on communities disproportionately facing obesity. Researchers at the UTHealth School of Public Health found that students and families participating in Brighter Bites programs significantly decreased the amount of sugars consumed and increased their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
“We know that when families have access to nutritious food and better information, they opt for better health choices,” said Brighter Bites founder Lisa Helfman. “I’m so proud to accept this award on behalf of our incredible team who is working tirelessly to ensure that more kids and families across the country have access to both healthy produce and the nutrition know-how to prepare it.”
Brighter Bites was among four other finalists this year, including The National Fitness Foundation, OPEN – Online Physical Education Network, SuperChefs, and The Walking Classroom Institute.
Brighter Bites will receive the award at Partnership for a Healthier America’s gala in Washington, DC, on September 27. Brighter Bites will share this distinction with The Walking Classroom, which enhances students’ physical, mental, and academic health through exercise.
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 17 million pounds of produce and 100,000s of nutrition education materials to more than 53,000 families and teachers in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, and Southwest Florida. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.
Media Contact:
Stefanie Cousins
Stefanie.Cousins@brighterbites.org
919-360-4156
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NYC’s Largest Food Rescue Organization and Top Produce Company Team up with Nutrition Education Nonprofit to Address Childhood Obesity and Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in New York City This Summer
City Harvest and D’Arrigo Bros. of New York bring fresh fruits and vegetables to families in Queens through a new partnership with national nonprofit Brighter Bites
New York, NY (July 16, 2018) – Food rescue nonprofit City Harvest and produce company D’Arrigo Bros. of New York today launched a summer-long program in New York City with Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that tackles childhood obesity by providing low-income families with free fresh produce and nutrition education. This effort builds on the three organizations’ similar work during the school year to provide free produce at schools with students living in underserved communities, and will increase access to produce for more than 400 families through programs at three summer camps in Queens.
“We believe that increasing access to healthy, affordable food is the key to helping all New Yorkers become food secure,” said Kate MacKenzie, City Harvest’s Senior Director of Programs. “Studies have shown children need to be offered a new food 10-15 times before they’ll develop a taste for it. For many working families in New York City that are struggling to make ends meet, however, experimenting with new foods like fresh produce isn’t always an option. City Harvest is excited to be partnering with Brighter Bites and D’Arrigo to decrease the risk that comes with trying new foods, and help families build healthy habits over the summer.”
According to City Harvest, more than 1.2 million New Yorkers face hunger every year, including nearly one in five New York City children. In Queens alone, over a quarter million residents are food insecure. Through City Harvest and Brighter Bites’ produce distribution and nutrition education programming, parents have the ability to learn which healthy foods their children have a taste for, and the recipe cards and tip sheets that come with the produce each week help them prepare meals in fun and nutritious ways.
Brighter Bites and City Harvest are kicking off programs at three summer camps in Queens that will provide more than 50,000 pounds of produce, along with kid-friendly bilingual recipes and tip sheets in English and Spanish on topics ranging from “Eating the Rainbow” to how bringing kids into the kitchen to help with meal prep makes them more invested in trying new foods.
Each week participating families will receive two bags containing approximately 50 servings of eight to 12 different fresh produce items along with the nutritional educational materials. D’Arrigo is generously donating a third of the fresh fruits and vegetables each week, with two-thirds coming from City Harvest.
“Every family wants to provide the best for their children to help them grow healthy and strong,” said Gabriela D’Arrigo, Vice President of Marketing for D’Arrigo. “As a family-owned business here in New York, we’re proud to partner with Brighter Bites and City Harvest to help our neighbors across the city have greater access to fresh produce.”
Since launching in 2012, Brighter Bites has distributed more than 17 million pounds of produce and hundreds of thousands of nutrition education materials to 200,000 individuals from more than 40,000 families through schools and summer camps in New York City, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Southwest Florida, and Washington, D.C. 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. In New York City, parents and community volunteers will pack bags of fresh fruits and veggies for families and teachers to take home for six weeks this summer.
“We know that far too many parents struggle to access and provide their children with fresh produce, particularly during the summer months when kids are out of school,” said Brighter Bites Executive Director Samuel Newman. “Since Brighter Bites established our New York City program in 2017 with City Harvest and D’Arrigo, we’ve been blown away by the kids’ response to trying different kinds of fresh fruits and veggies–often for the first time–and we’re so pleased to be continuing this important work throughout the summer months with these same partners.”
Brighter Bites measures the outcomes of its program to determine impact. Research shows the Brighter Bites model provides consistent opportunities for children and their families to practice healthier behaviors in school and at home:
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 17 million pounds of produce and 100,000s of nutrition education materials to more than 40,000 families and teachers in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, and Southwest Florida. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit BrighterBites.org.
About City Harvest
City Harvest is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the more than 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. We will rescue 61 million pounds of food this year and deliver it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community partners across the five boroughs. Our programs help food-insecure New Yorkers access nutritious food that fits their needs and desires; increase partners’ capacity; and strengthen the local food system, building a path to a food-secure future for all New Yorkers. To learn more, visit CityHarvest.org.
About D’Arrigo Bros. of New York
Family-owned and operated, D’Arrigo Bros. of New York, Inc. has served the New York Metropolitan area for over 50 years, offering a full line of the highest quality fruit and vegetable items available every day of the week. The company is located in a 75,000-square foot. facility in the Hunts Point Terminal Market in the Bronx. D’Arrigo takes pride in offering its customers the highest quality produce that can be found anywhere. To learn more, visit D’ArrigoNY.com
This summer in Austin was a HOT one! We stopped counting after 20 days of triple-digit temperatures and heat indexes that suggested we could fry an egg on the sidewalk!. But heat doesn’t stop the Brighter Bites Austin team. We bagged and distributed 57,272 pounds of fresh fruits and veggies to an average of 300 participants per week at five different summer programs, including El Buen Samaritano, Linder Elementary, Mainspring Schools, and the two summer camps run by the Andy Roddick Foundation.
To reinforce the value of the fresh produce, staff members taught CATCH Nutrition Education lessons and contributed to weekly cooking demonstrations. These lessons included an interactive cooking demo as well as discussions about nutrition and health. As an added bonus, Program Associate Eliza Weeks presented the participants at El Buen Samaritano with a demonstration of how to prepare leafy greens like kale and beets in a variety of easy and delicious recipes, including cool smoothies and salads perfect for summer snacks and meals.
Kindergarteners from Pecan Springs Elementary enjoy a Brighter Bites cooking and nutrition education lesson making Banana Ice Cream at the Andy Roddick Foundation’s Summer Learning program.
Program Associate Christina JeanBaptiste leading a CATCH lesson with a Kindergarten class at Mainspring School.