December 7, 2018

PHOENIX, Dec. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight hundred Phoenix families in need will receive enough food to supplement meals for a week plus daily essentials, thanks to a partnership between PepsiCo and Feed the Children. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. CST at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, 1401 East Jefferson St., Phoenix, Ariz.

This is the sixth year PepsiCo and Feed the Children have partnered to help feed families in Phoenix, where more than 26 percent of the population lives below the poverty line¹. This event is part of a larger initiative between PepsiCo and Feed the Children to help bring a brighter holiday season to communities in cities throughout the United States. Feed the Children's annual holiday campaign, No Hunger Holidays, is about transforming hunger into hope during the season of giving. The receiving families have been identified and preselected by Pilgrims Rest. 

"We love the Phoenix community and are grateful for the opportunity to not only donate, but also interact with these families, volunteer and spend a day giving back," said Nick Burge, zone sales director, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division. "At Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, we are committed to giving back to our communities where we live and work, and providing enough food to supplement meals for a week is a small way we can make a difference."

"Feed the Children is proud to partner with PepsiCo and Pilgrim Rest," said Travis Arnold, president and CEO, Feed the Children. "We know when we combine our efforts we will have a greater impact on the lives of families who need us most—right here in America."

Each qualifying recipient at today's event will be given:

• One 25-pound box of nonperishable food items
• One 10 to 15-pound box of personal-care items
• One box of AVON products
• Frito-Lay Variety Pack
• PepsiCo beverages
• Quaker Life Original Cereal
• Quaker Oatmeal
• Quaker Granola Chew Bars

Volunteers from PepsiCo, Pilgrim Rest and Feed the Children will be onsite serving families and assisting with distribution at today's event. 

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2017, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About Feed the Children
Established in 1979, Feed the Children exists to defeat childhood hunger. It is one of the largest U.S.-based charities and serves those in need in the U.S. and in 10 countries around the world. It provides food, education initiatives, essentials and disaster response. It operates five distribution centers located in Oklahoma, Indiana, California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

In fiscal year 2017, Feed the Children distributed 79.8 million pounds of food and essentials to children and families in the U.S. Internationally, it provided nutritious food or other benefits to 1,080,000 children, empowered 291,000 parents to make better decisions for their children, and positively impacted more than 1,200 communities and schools in 10 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is accredited by GuideStar Exchange and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Visit www.feedthechildren.org for more information.

¹ http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Phoenix-Arizona.html

SOURCE PepsiCo