Nonprofits such as Brighter Bites have evolved during the COVID-19 crisis in order to serve even more families in need. The Ft. Myers Free Press published an op-ed highlighting Brighter Bites’ programming, as well as the programming of other nonprofit organizations in the area.
April 27, 2020
By Lillian Diep, And Now U Know
HOUSTON, TX – The current public health crisis has brought much uncertainty to our lives, but is especially magnified for those who are food insecure. However, in times like these, heroes in the industry are teaming up to provide fresh produce to those in need. Brighter Bites has formed partnerships with H-E-B, Southeastern Grocers, and Winn-Dixie to provide $25 produce vouchers bi-weekly to every Brighter Bites household for fruit and vegetable purchases.
Read the rest of the story on the And Now U Know website.
Brighter Bites Launches Produce Voucher Program to Continue to Support Food Insecure Families during Coronavirus Pandemic Nonprofit rolls out $2 million COVID-19 relief program
Houston, TX (April 23, 2020) – The combined public health crisis and economic collapse inflicting our nation has brought much uncertainty to all of our lives, but is especially magnified for those who identify as food insecure. With the onset of the COVID-19 crisis and widespread school closures, 25,000 families in Houston, Austin, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Southwest Florida who normally rely on nonprofit Brighter Bites for weekly produce and nutrition education are now in even more need of daily nourishment. These are families who already struggle to make ends meet.
Today, Brighter Bites is announcing a new, emergency initiative aimed at ensuring that all families who are currently enrolled in Brighter Bites around the U.S. have the opportunity to access fresh produce when they need it most.
Brighter Bites is rolling out the initiative this week for 14,100 families In Houston and Austin in partnership with the Texas grocery retailer H-E-B and next week for 1,100 families in Southwest Florida with Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie stores.
Brighter Bites is giving $25 produce vouchers bi-weekly to every Brighter Bites household for fruit and vegetable purchases over the next two-three months at H-E-B and Winn-Dixie stores. This initiative will ensure no Brighter Bites family has to forfeit health or safety in order to survive this crisis.
“This is a time that our families need healthy food more than ever to boost their immune systems. When schools closed and our distribution model was interrupted we knew we had to pivot our business,” said Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman. “Brighter Bites will continue providing our families with fruits and vegetables through this program, allowing them to maintain the same level of produce in their homes as they did through Brighter Bites distributions. We could not have executed this program without the partnership of H-E-B, Southeastern Grocers, and Winn-Dixie. We are so grateful for their support.”
Dachman added Brighter Bites will convert its online nutrition education programs to a distance learning model.
Under normal circumstances, Brighter Bites works with their families across 100 plus schools in six cities, with each family receiving 25 pounds of fresh, seasonal produce and nutrition education on a weekly basis. Brighter Bites families were actively engaged in the program, and data shows that they were consuming significantly more fresh produce and talking about nutrition more often in their homes, too.
To sustain this program for all Brighter Bites families for the next two to three months, the nonprofit will need to raise additional funding to continue issuing produce vouchers to families until this crisis subsides. To make a donation please visit www.brighterbites.org.
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 27 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. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.
This story was published in the following publications:
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;
Brighter Bites will continue to find ways to distribute fresh produce to families, according to the release.
Dear Friends,
We are all witnessing and living through one of the most challenging times in modern history.
Like all of you, Brighter Bites is adapting to the new reality brought on by the coronavirus outbreak.
Our number one priority is the health and well-being of our employees and the families and communities we serve. For that reason, we are following protocols to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Brighter Bites understands that families need fresh, nutrient-rich food to keep them healthy, and we are making every effort to find distribution mechanisms to ensure they receive it.
While the schools we partner with are closed, Brighter Bites is working with community stakeholders to develop alternative opportunities for distributing produce to families in the cities where we operate.
We are also working with our produce partner suppliers to redirect donated produce to our local food banks and working with our supply chain to help continue that process moving forward.When we aren’t able to distribute fresh produce, we are making nutrition education and healthy recipes available to our families electronically to help them make the most of the food they do have while they are at home with their children. You can access healthy recipes here and tips and tools for cooking at home here.
Here are some examples of how Brighter Bites is supporting our communities this week:
Our Southwest Florida team distributed fresh produce to more than 500 families at the Bethel Assembly of God in Immokalee, FL with the help of so many community partners. Harry Chapin Food Bank, Southern Specialties, Freedom Fresh, and B&W Quality Growers collectively donated 12 different produce items. The Blue Zones Project in SWFL donated reusable bags. Collier County Schools and the Benison Center made the event possible.
Staff and volunteers in Austin packed 830 bags of fresh fruits and vegetables for families whose children attend Cook, T.A. Brown, and Harris Elementary Schools in Austin ISD. Thanks to Hardie’s Fresh Food for their incredible support during this challenging time.
At PS 151Q in Woodside, Queens we provided 300+ Brighter Bites families and local community members with 4,586lbs of organic grapes, oranges, and pantry bags pre-packed by our incredible partners at City Harvest.
We are living in a rapidly changing environment and in the coming weeks we’ll be making our best efforts to identify ways to regularly support our families with fresh, healthy foods and nutrition education alongside our local food banks and city partners. Above all else, the health and safety of our employees, families and communities will remain our focus.
Brighter Bites is grateful for the continued support and understanding from our families, partners, donors, supporters, and stakeholders. As uncertain as things are, we know we will get through this by working together.
We wish you and your family good health and safety as we navigate the coming weeks.
Yours sincerely,
The Brighter Bites Team
Michelle Rotunna at Parkside Elementary School in Naples, FL spoke with our team in SW Florida about the lifestyle shift she has made by increasing fresh food in her diet:
Throughout my life I have always had a weight problem, although over the past couple years I have truly turned my life around and gotten myself and family healthy and on track to living a better life. I believe that it is important to be able to nourish our bodies with healthy foods and be able to come up with creative ways to incorporate these foods into our daily diets. The Brighter Bites has been a blessing to our family and my students’ families. Having fresh produce in the house makes it easy to have a healthy snack instead of something unhealthy. I have also had the opportunity to help students grow in their understanding of what it means to stay healthy and eat healthy.
Share your stories about how fresh produce is making an impact on your life by emailing stefanie.cousins@brighterbites.org or nourishflourish@brighterbites.org,
Finally, our Southwest Florida program is also kicking off its own Instagram channel — with a photojournalist assigned to us for one full year, thanks to a grant from the Southwest Community Foundation.
In Spring 2018, Brighter Bites took our mission of creating communities of health through fresh food to Southwest Florida. Learn all about the people, program, and partners who make Brighter Bites shine in the Sunshine State.
In Spring 2018, Brighter Bites brought our mission of creating communities of health through fresh food to Southwest Florida, the most recent region to join our growing network of programs across the country. The move to Florida was a huge geographic jump for us, as the five previous cities we introduced to Brighter Bites were all based in either Texas or the Northeast.
While Brighter Bites has experience expanding to new cities, there was plenty to learn as we began programming in the Sunshine State. We found new friends and partners in the Harry Chapin Food Bank and Lipman Family Farms, and piloted our program in two Immokalee schools.
Our friends at the Harry Chapin Food Bank
The hard work of our dedicated Program Director Marcela Romero, who single-handedly led the program in its first season, paid off, and we’re now thrilled to be growing our program in the region, serving five schools and 1,000 families. The program was recently honored with a grant award by the Naples Children & Education Foundation at the organization’s annual awards ceremony to support our continued programming in the area.
A special part of Brighter Bites in Southwest Florida is the strong familial bond that ties together our staff members, school faculty, and families. Marcela initially grew the program as a one-woman show, and she eventually found the perfect coordinator and associate to back her up. The three women operate today as a dynamic team. You can read more about our Southwest Florida staff here.
L to R: Program Associate Mariana Coronado, Program Director Marcela Romero, and Program Coordinator Rosmery Garcia
The team has been based out of the Naples, FL, office of the Harry Chapin Food Bank since our Spring 2018 inception. We couldn’t be more grateful to work every day next to such an amazing partner.
Of course we wouldn’t be the program we are without our dedicated volunteers who come out each week to lend a helping hand. In Southwest Florida, we’re supported by family and community volunteers at our baggings and distributions.
Some of our most loyal summer volunteers pause for a photo as they assist with a Southwest Florida distribution.
Last fall the Naples Daily News featured Brighter Bites’ work at The Boys and Girls Club of Collier County, where we met our families last summer to continue our programming. The article highlighted how Brighter Bites is challenging food insecurity, food illiteracy, and food deserts in Collier County by providing our families with risk-free access to nutritious produce. Read the story here.
We love serving our Southwest Florida families and always welcome additional volunteers to help us carry out our mission of creating communities of health through fresh food. If you’re interested in volunteering at any of our Southwest Florida sites, visit our volunteer page to see how you can contribute!
Brighter Bites is fortunate to work closely with several incredible partners in Southwest Florida, including the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Lipman Family Farms, Southern Specialties, and The Blue Zones Project. Get to know a little about each of the organizations below!
The Harry Chapin Food Bank, a leading force for ending hunger in Southwest Florida, provides Brighter Bites with produce and handles all of our logistics. They additionally welcomed our team into their Naples, FL office space, where our three staff members handle the behind-the-scenes work of running Brighter Bites.
Our friends from the Harry Chapin Food Bank!
Lipman Family Farms is America’s largest field tomato grower and the lead funder of our program in Southwest Florida. Lipman is always willing to lend a helping hand with extra produce and logistics support when our program needs it. Juan Vila is one of Lipman’s super star employees who always goes above and beyond to make sure Brighter Bites gets all produce to the schools on time.
Southwest Florida Program Director Marcela Romero and Senior Program Director Mike Pomeroy take a tour of Lipman Family Farms
Southern Specialties is a produce distributor who helps ensure Brighter Bites gets to share a wide variety of produce with our families so they can try fruits and veggies they’ve never tasted before. Southern Specialties has introduced our families to sugar snap peas, white asparagus, and escarole, just to name a few!
A student at RCMA Immokalee Community School shows off some asparagus donated by Southern Specialties
We’re also excited to partner with the Southwest Florida chapter of The Blue Zones Project, a community-by-community initiative designed to enable community members to live longer, happier lives with lower rates of chronic diseases and a higher quality of life. The Blue Zones Project is a great community partner who always invites us to their events and help us spread the word about Brighter Bites in the region.
Join us in thanking our incredible Southwest Florida partners!
In Southwest Florida, Brighter Bites has a small but productive team of three staff members whose impressive teamwork has helped their program’s schools, students, and parents feel like one big family.
L to R: Program Associate Mariana Coronado, Program Director Marcela Romero, and Program Coordinator Rosmery Garcia
Program Director Marcela Romero has been with the program since its introduction to Southwest Florida. Marcela wore all the program’s hats and performed all necessary tasks while growing Brighter Bites during its first season. Her leadership has been integral to creating an empowering working environment for her two counterparts, who always feel encouraged to contribute their ideas to better the program. You can learn more about Marcela and her experience with Brighter Bites here.
Program Coordinator Rosmery Garcia joined the Brighter Bites team in September 2018. Rosmery uses her creative strengths to engage our families, teachers, and community in unique and exciting distribution experiences each week. We’re so lucky to have her on our team!
Program Associate Mariana Coronado was introduced to our program as a parent volunteer. She quickly became an integral part of our program by using her great organization and leadership skills during the bagging process. Mariana always goes above and beyond to ensure that produce is counted and bagged correctly. She’s an absolute superstar with our volunteers, whom she guides through baggings each week.
Thank you to our amazing team in Southwest Florida!