Keyword/Tag: Brighter Bites
Brighter Bites Partners with Bright Side Snacks – Every Snack Sold Will Donate to Brighter Bites Families
HOUSTON (December 4, 2024) – Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, partners with Bright Side Snacks, a new snack food company – offering delicious, cracker-like crisps made from upcycled fruits and vegetables – committed to reducing food waste and promoting healthier eating habits.
For every snack bag sold, we will donate a portion to Brighter Bites – supporting the nonprofit’s mission of creating communities of health through fresh food and nutrition education.
“We are so excited to launch this new brand and provide a healthier snack option for everyone to enjoy. It’s an approachable snack that can be a part of any diet,” said Lisa Helfman, co-founder of Bright Side Snacks and Brighter Bites. “Thirteen years ago, Brighter Bites started on the concept of providing healthier food options to families to improve their health, and Bright Side Snacks is an extension of just that – a healthy, on-the-go, delicious snack made with fresh fruits and vegetables!”
Bright Side Snacks are a new kind of fruit crisp cracker made simply with fruit and vegetable pulp. All flavors are made with only one or two ingredients: just pineapple, pineapple and beet, pineapple and kale, pineapple and cinnamon. Furthermore, the product offers a sustainable solution by utilizing pineapple pulp and other pulp that would otherwise be thrown out after the fruit or vegetable is juiced.
“Not only is it in the name, but Bright Side Snacks aligns beautifully with Brighter Bites and its goal to bring fresher, healthier options to consumers,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “We are thankful for the brand’s contribution to our mission and look forward to seeing them grow within the market.”
Bright Side Snacks are currently being sold online and at select H-E-B stores. If retailers are interested in learning more, please contact Lee Haverman at Lee@brightsidesnacks.com.
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About Brighter Bites:
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided over 65 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than one million individuals (including teachers) in Austin, Bakersfield, Dallas, Houston, Las Cruces, Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York City, Salinas, San Antonio, Southwest Florida, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.
About Bright Side Snacks
Bright Side Snacks is a fresh and fun startup food company dedicated to making snacking healthier and more sustainable. Its flagship product, Bright Side Crisps, is crafted from upcycled fruit and vegetable pulp, turning juicing byproducts into delicious, crunchy snacks. With a focus on simplicity, each crisp is made with just one or two ingredients, providing a clean-label alternative to traditional snacks. Bright Side Snacks is committed to reducing food waste and promoting sustainable habits, partnering with Brighter Bites to support healthier communities through access to fresh food. To learn more, visit BrightSideSnacks.com.
Brighter Bites receives generous donation from Sun Orchard
Brighter Bites received a $25,000 donation from Sun Orchard, a leading developer and manufacturer of all-natural citrus based ingredient and beverage products, servicing market leaders across the foodservice, specialty industrial and club channels.
“Sun Orchard is proud to support Brighter Bites’ mission of providing healthy food to children. Their dedication to childhood nutrition aligns perfectly with our company values,” Jeff DeBoer, chief commercial officer at Sun Orchard. “Through this collaboration, we hope to make a positive impact on families in need.”
Wish Farms’ Amber Maloney Details Consumer Giveaway and Charity Donation: “Pick-A-Berry, Pick-A-Cause”
PLANT CITY, FL – Wish Farms is championing this campaign for the third year in a row. The $10,000 charitable, give-back consumer campaign, “Pick-A-Berry, Pick-A-Cause” will be divided among three organizations: Brighter Bites, Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA), and Tunnel to Towers.
“This campaign has been a resounding success over the last couple of years. Not only have we expanded our audience with 30,000+ new Berry Lover email signups, but we are also bringing awareness to great causes to spread the ‘Feel Good’ message that is so important to our company,” remarked Director of Marketing Amber Maloney. “We are very excited to see how much this year builds on our past success!”
Brighter Bites, Zespri Kiwifruit and Gelson’s Collaborate for In-Store Promotion
Zespri and Gelson’s to Each Donate One Dollar to Brighter Bites For Each SunGold Kiwi Unit Purchased at Gelson’s.
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 31, 2024) – Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, partners with Zespri™ Kiwifruit and Gelson’s to host a two week, in-store promotion running from August 14 to 27. During this time, Zespri and Gelson’s will each donate $1 ($2 total) to the national nonprofit Brighter Bites for every one-pound package of Zespri SunGold Kiwi purchased.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Zespri Kiwifruit and Brighter Bites for the second year of this promotion,” said Sean Saenz, vice president of fresh foods for Gelson’s. “This initiative aligns with our commitment to offering high-quality products and supporting the health and well-being of our local communities.”
The promotion aims to support Brighter Bites’ mission of creating communities of health through fresh food. By purchasing Zespri SunGold Kiwi at any Gelson’s location, shoppers will not only enjoy the delicious and nutritious fruit but also contribute to a cause that provides fresh produce and nutrition education to children and their families.
“Zespri is proud to join Gelson’s in supporting Brighter Bites,” said Jeanne Wilson, head of marketing for Zespri North America. “Our SunGold Kiwifruit is not only a tasty and nutritious choice but also a means to make a positive impact on children’s health and nutrition.”
Last year, Brighter Bites, Zespri and Gelson’s came together for the same promotion and raised $2,500 to further the nonprofit’s dedication to provide reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and exposure to recipes that feature fresh food.
“This type of collaboration is a great example of how retailers and produce companies can come together to support an important mission of providing fresh fruits and vegetables to local communities,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “Our promotion together last year was a great success, and we look forward to continuing to work together to encourage healthier choices.”
1,000 Families Receive Fresh Produce From Organic Produce Summit’s Seed To Service Event
Brighter Bites Organizes Sorting and Packing Event to Serve Monterey, California
Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, hosted a volunteer event of the Organic Produce Summit last week in Monterey, CA.
During the summit, volunteers came together to sort and pack fresh produce for 1,000 families in Monterey County across four sites, including Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, Frank Ledesma, and First Tee. The families participating in the program received approximately 50 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables along with recipes and tips to encourage healthier eating habits and food choices.
Brighter Bites Raises $25,000 with Lakeview Farms During IDDBA’S 60th Show Peppers with a Purpose
We partnered with Lakeview Farms, a leading manufacturer of refrigerated desserts, dips, salsa, hummus and specialty products, to host “Peppers with a Purpose” at IDDBA’s 60th tradeshow to raise funds and awareness for the nonprofit’s mission. The event included a spinning wheel of different peppers ranging from mild to hot, which each participant had to spin the wheel and take a bite of the pepper selected. Additionally, the hotter the pepper, the more money that was raised for Brighter Bites, which totaled $25,000 at the end of the event. “To support Brighter Bites, we invited hundreds of individuals to our booth at the Houston IDDBA show, to join us in raising funds,” said Tom Davis, CEO of Lakeview Farms. “Fresh and healthy food is our world and raising $25,000 to put fresh food into the homes of people who need it most, is meaningful to us. We’re proud to partner with Brighter Bites!” Furthermore, Fresh Cravings, Rojo’s and La Mexicana Salsa – brands under the Lakeview Farms parent company – highlighted the “Salsabrate The Good” campaign, which shares the stories of like-minded organizations in communities served to make a positive impact together. Brighter Bites was featured in one of the videos, showcasing its mission to support under-resourced communities by providing fresh produce and nutrition education. Click HERE to view the video. “Partnerships like the one we’ve created with Lakeview Farms and their brands enables our work to come to life and get fresh food into the hands of children and families faster than if we were doing it alone,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the industry working together to better the eating habits and consumption of fresh food among consumers, and we are so grateful to be doing this work with Lakeview Farms.”
Brighter Bites Partners with GoodPop for 2024 Summer Programming
HOUSTON (June 4, 2024) – Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, announces partnership with GoodPop®, makers of better-for-you frozen pops and bubbly beverages.
Through this partnership, GoodPop will contribute to the nonprofit’s mission by making a financial donation, including a $40,000 matching of Brighter Bites’ summer Core Campaign. Additionally, GoodPop will participate in a volunteer day at one of the Austin summer program sites, contribute fresh watermelon from their own supply chain to diversify the nonprofit’s distribution bags, and execute a GoodPop product cause marketing strategy to raise awareness of Brighter Bites’ back-to-school campaign
“We are honored to have a partner like GoodPop to support our mission, especially during our summer programming months,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “Summer programming is crucial for the communities we serve in providing access to fresh produce when school is out. To have partner support during this time of the year is always welcomed and appreciated.”
Furthermore, Brighter Bites is also giving back to GoodPop’s cause by participating in Good Deeds Day, a global movement of people dedicated to doing good. Since 2007, millions of people and thousands of organizations from 110 countries have come together annually to volunteer and #DoGood. This Brighter Bites and GoodPop partnership is just the beginning of many connections with organizations across the country to provide people with an opportunity to do good and volunteer.
“At GoodPop, it is our mission to provide families with more wholesome, delicious treats made with real and simple ingredients while also doing good in the communities we serve, ” says Clara Tomlin, Director of Brand Impact at GoodPop. “GoodPop is proud to partner with Brighter Bites, uplifting two of our giving pillars: Supporting Equity and Inclusion and Ending Hunger in America. This partnership feels especially important to us as we always strive to bring joy to families during the summer through our products and mission.”
Brighter Bites Launches First Program Season at 12th Location in Las Cruces, New Mexico
LAS CRUCES, NM – We announced in November 2023 that Brighter Bites was introducing its 11th location in Phoenix, Arizona. Now, the organization is announcing its 12th location in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with the kickoff of its first program season in the community. Brighter Bites is serving six public schools within Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS), which is directly impacting close to 600 families and providing approximately 20 lbs of fresh produce to participants every other week.
“We aim to improve health outcomes starting with the children and families in under-resourced communities by providing fresh produce and nutrition education,” said Mike Pomeroy, Vice President of Operations at Brighter Bites. “Our ultimate goal is to create behavior change that improves children’s health, especially among populations who are disproportionately vulnerable to developing obesity and diet-related diseases. When successful, we can eliminate health disparities and address health equity.”
Feeding Houston: Brighter Bites, Houston Food Bank and Cougar Cupboard
We cover a number of gourmet restaurants, booming burger joints and primo pizza parlors here in the Houston Press. And as much as we enjoy scouting out new cafes and happy hour hotspots, we also realize that a large number of Houstonians not only lack the means to dine out but also face hunger within their homes as well.
We are a massively spread out city and arguably the most diverse in the nation. And meeting the needs of those facing food insecurity is a daunting task. One organization alone cannot serve all of Houston’s families and residents in need. Houston Food Bank, the nation’s largest food bank network, serves 18 southeast Texas counties. That’s a lot of people to feed.
There are other organizations, however, that also have arisen in the past few years to provide more than just boxes of non-perishable foods, but also fresh produce and education. Working together, these non-profits benefit those in need of food and healthy habits. And some of them have experienced some big boosts lately in their efforts to do so.
Brighter Bites
Recently, we were invited to the Brighter Bites Second Anniversary Gala to meet with some of its organizers and strategists, folks who aim to not only provide school children with fresh produce but also educate families about the preservation and cooking of the precious ingredients.
Brighter Bites, which began in 2012, is the brainchild of founder and board chair Lisa Helfman and co-founder Dr. Shreela Sharma. Helfman attributes her inspiration for the non-profit to her decision years ago to take part in a weekly fruit and vegetable co-op to provide fresh produce for her family. One day her 6-year-old son, now a young man seated in the audience, turned down a slice of cake at a party because it was too sweet and asked instead for some berries. Helfman says she realized then that exposing children to healthy foods could make a difference but that not all children have access to fresh produce.
She began a collaboration with Dr. Sharma, a nutrition expert and professor of epidemiology at UTHealth School of Public Health. They started with local schools, providing fruits and vegetables donated by produce partners. Some students did not even recognize the different berries, citrus and greens.