December 6, 2021
2021 Volunteer Efforts were largest in Dallas, despite COVID-19 barriers.
To commemorate International Volunteer Day, Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, today kicked off the first of a series of mentoring sessions as part of the Women’s Workforce Readiness Initiative, a Southern Dallas Thrives program created in partnership with CitySquare, Dallas College, and The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
The mentoring program is part of an initiative targeted to underserved women of southern Dallas to build mentoring relationships and provide them with training they need to obtain job placement. Launched in March 2021, the program aims to place 350 women in high-need jobs within three years of joining the program.
“At Frito-Lay, we believe we succeed when our communities succeed,” said Steven Williams, CEO, PepsiCo Foods North America. “That commitment, while global, starts in our hometown of Dallas, where we’ve invested millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours to make a positive impact within our communities. As business leaders we have an obligation to support the communities where we live and work. The 2018 founding of Southern Dallas Thrives, in partnership with the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, is a representation of this. As an organization we are committed to being a change agent in key issues families in Southern Dallas face.”
While International Volunteer Day is celebrated annually on December 5, PepsiCo and Frito-Lay have been global community partners for decades. Since 1970, PepsiCo and Frito-Lay have held a month-long Employee Giving Campaign to invite employees across the country to contribute to and participate in community endeavors.
- To address issues and challenges faced by Southern Dallas residents related to food access, Frito-Lay has partnered with Goodr and will provide food resources via a pop-up grocery store and feeding event on December 11 that will benefit more than 400 Dallas families.
- In 2021, Frito-Lay led PepsiCo in fundraising efforts, raising $350,000 to go directly to organizations in these same communities that are key to the company.
- This year, despite the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Frito-Lay associates gave back to local communities through volunteering with organizations such as Minnie’s Food pantry and ChildCare Group. This participation resulted in the largest United Way Day of Caring in Dallas.
“We have a government matching grant which pays us approximately $25 an hour per volunteer. That adds more than $5,000 in our bank thanks to your hours of service,” said Melissa Hammonds, Corporate & Community Engagement Manager, ChildCareGroup.
Frito-Lay has been active within the nation’s communities for more than 85 years. Community investment remains at the core of Frito-Lay’s growth strategy, with a two-fold commitment to growing not only the business, but the communities where employees live and work.
About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $18 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, N.Y. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos snacks, Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, SunChips multigrain snacks and Fritos corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http:www.fritolay.com/, on Twitter fritolay, on Instagram @fritolay and on Facebook Frito-Lay.
