Barilla and Meals on Wheels America Unite for
Connection Kitchen Food Truck to Help End the WaitTM for
Seniors Hoping to Receive Nutritious Meals and Meaningful
Connection
NORTHBROOK, Ill., Nov. 26,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Barilla, the world's
leading pasta maker, believes in the joy of food for a better life
and knows that the most joyful meals aren't enjoyed alone. That's
why this holiday season, the pasta company is on a mission to
spread joy and combat loneliness through its first signature giving
event, the Barilla Connection Kitchen food truck.
This year Barilla America, which is headquartered in
Northbrook Illinois, is partnering
with Meals on Wheels America to help End the WaitTM for
seniors who struggle with hunger and isolation. Across the country,
local Meals on Wheels programs serve nutritious meals and
meaningful connections to seniors in their communities, but limited
funding and volunteers force one in three programs to keep a
waitlist. Through the Connection Kitchen program, Barilla is
helping bring to life a new plan to End the WaitTM for
millions of seniors who need Meals on Wheels. In addition to
helping to inspire and recruit volunteers for Meals on Wheels
Chicago and programs across the country, Barilla is supporting
national efforts to End the Wait by donating $250,000 to Meals on Wheels America.
Launching during the holiday giving season, the Connection
Kitchen pop-up food truck will take to the streets of Chicago to
serve delectable pasta dishes, spreading warmth and joy, with a
suggestion to sign up to volunteer with Meals on Wheels Chicago
while enjoying their pasta. The food truck will be stationed at the
Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago on Friday,
December 6th from 12pm-3pm
CT and at Oakbrook Center on Saturday, December 7th from
11am-5pm CT. All pasta will be served
free of charge to the public with the centralized mission to spread
awareness of important connections and joy this holiday season.
"At Barilla, we know the most joyful meals are meant to be
shared," said Laura Birk, Vice
President of Human Resources, Barilla America. "In fact,
research we recently conducted in collaboration with
the University of Minnesota
showed that 60% of individuals acknowledged eating alone more often
over the past two years. That said, people who embraced sharing
meals with others on a weekly basis experienced notable improvement
in their mental well-being. What better way to spread this joy of
food than by helping Meals on Wheels Chicago connect people within
the local community?"
Barilla's head Chef Lorenzo Boni
curated the Connection Kitchen menu to ignite the holiday spirit.
At the Connection Kitchen, Chicagoans can choose from the following
classic Italian recipes:
- Snowfall Cacio e Pepe, a modern twist on a beloved Italian
classic, this recipe uses Barilla's newest holiday pasta shape,
Snowfall.
- Creamy Mushroom Farfalle, uses Barilla Farfalle pasta with
porcini mushrooms and makes for a cozy recipe. The bow-tie shape is
sure to remind fans of holiday bows and gifts!
- Rigatoni Amatriciana, which uses Barilla Rigatoni, this classic
Roman dish hopes to transport pasta fans to the streets of
Rome with just one bite!
"At Meals on Wheels America, we're thankful for
Barilla's partnership helping us End the Wait, which
is to ultimately ensure that every senior who needs Meals on
Wheels, gets it," said Ellie
Hollander, President and Chief Executive Officer at Meals on
Wheels America. "As Barilla encourages those in their own backyard
to support the local Meals on Wheels Chicago program, we hope this
inspires others around the country to do the same by donating to
and volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program in their own
community."
"This partnership encourages the local Chicago community to get involved and help the
Meals on Wheels network End the WaitTM for the thousands
of seniors in our community who face hunger and isolation each
year," said Cory Morris, Director of
Community Impact, Meals on Wheels Chicago. "In Chicago, 8 out of 10
seniors served by Meals on Wheels report that their delivery driver
is their primary social contact, on any given day. With Barilla's
help, we're raising awareness of this need for more volunteer
resources in order to build more of these moments of
connection."
Over the years, Barilla has made significant contributions to a
variety of nonprofits. Since 2010, the global Barilla Group has
donated 50,000 tons of product and over 60
million euros to support communities worldwide. In the US,
Barilla also works closely with organizations like the Greater
Chicago Food Depository, Feeding America, and Food Bank for
New York City – to name just a few
– to feed people across the United
States. This partnership is yet another step in Barilla's
mission of the joy of food for a better life.
To join Barilla and Meals on Wheels America in bringing
meaningful connections to those who need it most through the mobile
Connection Kitchen truck, visit BarillaConnectionKitchen.com. To
learn more about Meals on Wheels volunteer opportunities visit
www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/endthewait.
About Barilla Group:
Barilla is a family business, not listed on the Stock Exchange,
chaired by the brothers Guido, Luca and Paolo Barilla. It was
founded by their great-grandfather Pietro Barilla, who opened a
bakery in Parma in 1877. Today, Barilla is renowned in Italy and around the world for the quality of
its food products. With its brands – Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Pan di
Stelle, Gran Cereale, Harrys, Pavesi, Wasa, Filiz, Yemina, Misko,
Voiello, Academia Barilla, First, Catelli, Lancia, Splendor, Back
To Nature and Pasta Evangelists – it advocates tasty, hearty and
wholesome nutrition, inspired by the Mediterranean Diet and the
Italian lifestyle.
When Pietro opened his shop over 145 years ago, the main aim was
to make good food. That principle has now become the Barilla way of
doing business, with almost 9,000 people working for the company
and a supply chain that shares its values and passion for
quality.
The Group's commitment is to offer people the joy that good,
well-made food can bring them, produced with selected ingredients
favouring those from responsible supply chains, to contribute to a
better present and future.
Since 1987, a historical archive has been collecting and
preserving the company's over 145-year history, now a resource open
to all via the portal-museum www.archiviostoricobarilla.com. For
further information, visit: www.barillagroup.com; Twitter:
@barillagroup; LinkedIn: Barilla Group; Instagram:
@barillapeople.
About Barilla Group's Corporate Giving:
Over the
years, with the aim of supporting local communities, Barilla has
supported and participated in numerous initiatives and projects
that promote access to food for disadvantaged communities or those
affected by natural disasters. At the same time, guided by its
purpose "The joy of food for a better life," Barilla has
established and strengthened relationships with charities,
businesses, and nonprofit organizations, working alongside local
authorities through partnerships, financial contributions, and
product donations.
About Meals on Wheels America:
Meals on Wheels America
is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000
community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to
addressing senior hunger and isolation. Powered by a trusted
volunteer workforce, this network delivers a comprehensive solution
that begins with a meal and is proven to enable independence and
well-being through the additional benefits of tailored nutrition,
social connection, safety and much more. By providing funding,
programming, education, research and advocacy, Meals on Wheels
America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their
communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find
a Meals on Wheels provider near you,
visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
For further information contact:
Media Contacts:
Brook Kovanda Davis
brooke.kovanda@barilla.com
Kyle Sharick
kyle.sharick@edelman.com
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SOURCE Barilla America, Inc.
