Food for Good’s summer assignment: Help deliver one-million meals before the school year started

A lot can change in 15 years.

When Food for Good sent its first truck out to the streets of South Dallas in 2009, the team behind the ambitious venture wasn’t sure if they could fulfill their mission of making meals more accessible to food insecure families. Now, 15 years later, Food for Good has become a lifeline for many such families by delivering consistent access to nutritious meals year-round.

By merging PepsiCo’s logistical expertise and technological know-how with the dedication and existing infrastructure from community partners, the program has grown to deliver 75 million meals since 2009, serving over 2 million children and partnering with over 50 organizations.

Summer is a critical time in Food for Good’s mission, because, as Brian Greene, President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank explains, unlike the school year, when children regularly receive breakfast and lunch each school day, children lose access to daily meals once that final school bell rings. “In summer, that’s hunger season for kids,” says Brian. “Those families now have two extra meals a day to cover—for some families, they can’t afford it.”

He notes that many kids are not going to a community center or a place where there is programming, which makes it much more logistically challenging for community food banks because the number of sites they are trying to reach rises exponentially. Which is where programs like Food for Good come in to help ensure meals are going where they are needed most.

“Over and over, community members told us that one of the big issues that we are seeing is that children don’t have access to food during the summer,” says Jonathan George, Director of North America Social Impact for PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation. “We asked ourselves how we could use PepsiCo’s expertise, our ability to make food and move it to every corner of the world, to help increase access to meals for children during the summer.”

As Food for Good has expanded its community partnerships over the years, they’ve learned that the best way to reach kids where they are at is to tap into that community network. “We spend a lot of time listening to nonprofit organizations and working alongside them in their communities,” says Jonathan. “It starts with understanding the community, because everyone is different. We focus on working locally to learn what challenges people are facing.” With 50 different organizations in that network, each gives them a better understanding of their local community to help provide a solution that meets their individual needs.

By showing up for the last 15 years to support families, Food for Good has helped build trust in the communities it serves. “Families are so grateful for this program. It helps to ease the financial burden,” said Vincent Harding, Executive Director of the Texas Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs. He explained that for many parents, the program helps ensure their children have access to balanced, nutritious meals—fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein—that not only ease financial pressures but also provide peace of mind. With kids fed, families can focus on spending quality time together, helping with homework, or simply resting without the stress of hunger weighing on them.

But Food for Good couldn’t reach its goal of making nutritious food accessible to 50 million people by 2030 without the help of another inspiring network—PepsiCo employees.

“We have incredible employees that work at PepsiCo who deeply care about making a meaningful impact in the community,” says Jonathan. “The impact we’re making is a direct result of their dedication and willingness to roll up their sleeves and get involved. Every step forward has been possible because our people care deeply about the communities we serve, and together, we’re building something that lasts.”