Keyword/Tag: nutrition education

Wish Farms’ Amber Maloney Details Consumer Giveaway and Charity Donation: “Pick-A-Berry, Pick-A-Cause”

Posted on August 22, 2024 by -

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!”

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Brighter Bites, Zespri Kiwifruit and Gelson’s Collaborate for In-Store Promotion

Posted on July 30, 2024 by -

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.”

 

Brighter Bites surpasses distribution of 60M pounds of fresh food

Posted on May 17, 2024 by -

Brighter Bites released its annual report. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has distributed more than 60 million pounds of fresh produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than 1 million individuals.

Readers will get a closer look at Brighter Bites’ financials, the partnerships that make its mission possible, information about the unique produce distributed, and a general look back at 2023. The annual report also contains information about plans for 2024.

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Brighter Bites Launches First Program Season at 12th Location in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Posted on April 23, 2024 by -

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.”

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Feeding Houston: Brighter Bites, Houston Food Bank and Cougar Cupboard

Posted on April 17, 2024 by -

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.

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White House Challenge to End Hunger approves UTHealth Houston innovative commitments to Food Is Medicine

Posted on February 27, 2024 by -

Three commitments to improve food security, diet quality, and health outcomes for vulnerable communities, made by UTHealth Houston in partnership with local and national organizations, have been approved as part of the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities.

The challenge, which was sent to national organizations by invitation only, is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.

“Through these collective efforts, UTHealth Houston and its partners in public health will create pathways to provide produce to millions of people in the United States, including children and high-risk pregnant mothers, with a focus on improving nourishment and nutrition, and eliminating food insecurity and food waste,” said Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, UTHealth Houston president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair.

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Brighter Bites named a MyPlate National Strategic Partner

Posted on February 13, 2024 by -

Fresh produce nonprofit organization Brighter Bites has become a National Strategic Partner for MyPlate.

Brighter Bites joins other retailers, restaurants, suppliers and media outlets that have partnered with MyPlate to support the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans and help consumers across the country develop healthy lifestyles.

“We are proud to be a partner of an organization that not only matches our mission but also reaches so many families and individuals nationwide with an approachable guide to healthy eating,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “As we continue to grow our program and reach more families nationwide, we are honored to be surrounded by so many other companies with similar goals. What an exciting and impactful group to join!”

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Fall 2019 Semester in Review

Posted on December 18, 2019 by -

That’s a wrap!

Brighter Bites finished up our fall 2019 programming season after distributing an estimated 2.5 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables at 100 program sites nationwide! This semester, nearly 19,000 families and over 3,000 teachers participated in our six programs across the country, spanning Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Southwest Florida. Throughout the programming season, over 408,000 pieces of nutrition education (like handbooks, how-to produce guides, shopping and planning advice, healthy-eating tips and tricks, and recipes) made their way into the hands of thousands of participating families.

We can’t wait to come back next spring to continue creating communities of health through fresh food!

Queens Students Eating Healthier

Posted on September 27, 2018 by -

 

 

Brighter Bites partners with City Harvest in New York City to implement our program at several sites in Queens. The Queens Chronicle profiled Brighter Bites in an article, reporting on our program’s mission to help families eat healthier with free fresh produce, nutritional education, and fun food experiences. Read more about it here!

Press Release: Brighter Bites wins Impact Award

Posted on August 6, 2018 by -

Media Contact:
Stefanie Cousins
Stefanie.Cousins@brighterbites.org
919-360-4156

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nutrition Education Nonprofit Honored With Prestigious Award from Partnership for a Healthier America

National nonprofit Brighter Bites wins Impact Award from organization creating solutions to ensure children will live healthier lives

Houston, TX (August 6, 2018) — Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), the nonpartisan nonprofit creating solutions to ensure that all children and young adults will live healthier lives announced today that Brighter Bites will receive its annual Impact Award at the September 27 gala in Washington, DC. The PHA Impact Award is presented each year to a group or individual working at the community level to help build a healthier future.

“We are proud to present Brighter Bites with this year’s Impact Award for its service to local communities across the country,” said PHA President and CEO Nancy E. Roman. “Brighter Bites is helping to create access and instill habits around fresh food that has life-long health benefits.”

Brighter Bites was co-founded by Lisa Helfman and Dr. Shreela Sharma in Houston, Texas. Since its founding in 2012, Brighter Bites has donated over 17 million pounds of fresh produce, and 100,000s of nutrition education materials to over 53,000 families struggling to access or afford nutritious food. Brighter Bites programs and nutrition education materials are currently delivered through six programs based in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Southwestern Florida, Washington, DC, and New York City.

The PHA Impact Award recognizes organizations that demonstrate a measurable impact on communities disproportionately facing obesity. Researchers at the UTHealth School of Public Health found that students and families participating in Brighter Bites programs significantly decreased the amount of sugars consumed and increased their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“We know that when families have access to nutritious food and better information, they opt for better health choices,” said Brighter Bites founder Lisa Helfman. “I’m so proud to accept this award on behalf of our incredible team who is working tirelessly to ensure that more kids and families across the country have access to both healthy produce and the nutrition know-how to prepare it.”

Brighter Bites was among four other finalists this year, including The National Fitness Foundation, OPEN – Online Physical Education Network, SuperChefs, and The Walking Classroom Institute.

Brighter Bites will receive the award at Partnership for a Healthier America’s gala in Washington, DC, on September 27. Brighter Bites will share this distinction with The Walking Classroom, which enhances students’ physical, mental, and academic health through exercise.

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 more than 17 million pounds of produce and 100,000s of nutrition education materials to more than 53,000 families and teachers in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, and Southwest Florida. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.