I’m not sure if you know this or not, but PepsiCo and it’s products are available in over 200 countries worldwide. They aim to give their consumers choices, too. Offering 26 of their top global brands is a pretty good start. Some of those are Lay’s chips, Quaker Oats, Tropicana juice, Aquafina water, Lipton iced tea, Fritos, and Sierra Mist. Hey, did you know that they also make Rice-A-Roni and Aunt Jemima? I sure didn’t. Well, I guess you learn something new every day.
Household name for generations
You know something when you know it, right? Most of the brands owned by PepsiCo are known by just about every person that reads this. Several of them have been around for generations.
The roots of PepsiCo date back to 1898, when Caleb Bradham created Pepsi-Cola and sold it to his pharmacy customers. In 1965 Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay joined together in what was recognized as “a marriage made in heaven”. A new company, PepsiCo, was formed and became one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies.
Since this ‘marriage’, the company has been growing in size and scope. The business growth has put them on the Forbes Top 50 list and the impact they have been able to have on the world just keeps on going. PepsiCo’s mission and vision are focused on ‘creating more smiles’ and ‘winning with purpose’.
This is who they care about
With the idea of their mission and vision in mind, they have a passion and drive to positively impact their consumers, associates and communities, and the planet. Striving to be a global leader in convenient foods and beverages, PepsiCo is committed to do good for the planet and the communities they serve.
The consumer is a vital part of their business. Without them, they would not be able to do business in such a successful manner. By defining a new set of aspirations: to become Faster, Stronger, and Better, PepsiCo plans to make more progress with the consumer in mind. More importantly, the company is focused on making sure those in need of food get fed.
‘Food for Good’ battles hunger
Hunger is a roadblock for 24 million Americans. Being hungry all of the time and wondering where the next meal is coming from impacts all aspects of daily life. I know when I’m hungry I tend to lose focus on what the task at hand is. Personally, I can’t imagine having to deal with that on a daily basis. In a very profound way, hunger makes it difficult for dreams to come to life for millions of Americans.
The current state of childhood hunger is hard to fathom. According to Share our Strength, 1 in 5 children in the US face hunger. Also, Feeding America states that 5 out of 6 eligible kids do not get free meals during summer. PepsiCo and Frito-Lay feel those numbers are not acceptable and have focused many of their resources to changing those statistics. This is where the ‘Food for Good’ program created by PepsiCo and Frito-Lay comes in.
‘Food for Good’ is unique in such a way that they are able to benefit from the scale, logistics, and technology of a Fortune 50 food and beverage company. Through some very powerful relationships including PepsiCo, local partners, and government agencies FFG has been able to deliver 100 million servings of nutritious food.
Impacting so many through this program
The impact FFG has on the communities is serves goes beyond filling up bellies. To make all of this happen it takes feet on the ground and all hands on deck. By hiring from the same communities they serve, FFG has created more than 160 jobs that manage warehouses and deliver food. Local non-profit partners also create 100 summer jobs that help with nutrition education and physical activity.
To say that ‘Food for Good’ is an organization that does good would be a huge understatement. The passion and drive PepsiCo and Frito-Lay has for making sure kids in the US and around the world are fed is a shining example for many.
I urge you to look around in your own community and identify any hunger needs. I promise by helping alleviate those shortcomings you will have a major impact on those less fortunate in your community – you’ll be doing good!
