November 13, 2024

On Aug. 1, Frito-Lay won the “Innovative Collaboration” award for Southern Dallas Thrives as part of D CEO’s Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards.

The ceremony took place at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, and Frito-Lay was initially one of four finalists in the category.

Jen Saenz, senior vice president of marketing and chief marketing officer, accepted the award on behalf of the company, along with Southern Dallas Thrives community partners, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. It's the first anniversary of the Southern Dallas Thrives initiative.

“The category is innovative collaboration, so I would be remiss to not be here with our partners from United Way, who truly have the very same mission we do – which is how do we put more opportunity in the hands of North Texans,” Saenz said while on stage with Susan Hoff, chief strategy, impact and operating officer, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

Through this award-winning program, Southern Dallas Thrives is committed to focusing on community-giving efforts that drive true impact in a North Texas community facing significant challenges. As a result of the passion of our employees and the commitment of our partners, Southern Dallas Thrives aims to serve 1 million meals to underserved children in the Southern Dallas community, increase kindergarten readiness, help prepare high school students for graduation, and provide mothers with opportunities to enter the workforce and provide support for their families.