Iconic Brands like Chipotle Mexican Grill,
Denny's, Inspire Brands, Fogo de Chão, Jack in the Box, Macy's,
Inc. and Tropical Smoothie Cafe Pioneering the Effort
[Media: For photos and assets, click
HERE]
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- No Kid Hungry, a national campaign focused on
ending childhood hunger in the U.S. announced today the CEO
Pledge to End Summer Hunger, a
national movement uniting CEOs across industries to help increase
the reach of summer meals programs from 2.8 to 30 million children.
CEOs and top executives who are among the first to champion the
effort include: Christine
Barone, CEO & President, Dutch Bros Coffee;
Paul Brown, Co-Founder &
CEO, Inspire Brands; Noah
Glass, Founder & CEO, Olo; Darin Harris, CEO, Jack in the Box;
Barry McGowan, CEO, Fogo de
Chão; Danny Meyer, Founder
& Executive Chairman, Union Square Hospitality Group;
Brian Niccol, Chairman &
CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill; Tony
Spring, Chairman & CEO, Macy's, Inc.;
Kelli Valade, President &
CEO, Denny's and Charles
Watson, CEO, Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
One in five kids in America lives with hunger. And for children
who rely on free or reduced priced meals at school, summer can be
the hungriest time of year. A recent survey revealed that 41% of
parents struggle in some way to provide food for their household
when kids are out of school. Without access to nutrition during the
summer months, it is that much harder for kids to return to school
ready to learn.
"Feeding children and feeding our communities should be a top
priority," says Barry McGowan, CEO
of Fogo de Chão. "As a food industry veteran, I understand the
value of making sure people have enough to eat. That's why I'm
proud to unite behind the CEO pledge to end summer hunger. There is
strength in numbers and together, we can make sure every child in
America is fed. Join us in this critical mission."
Edelman's 2024 Trust Barometer Report reveals that 62% of people
expect CEOs to address societal issues. Pledge champions understand
that. These top executives are putting their competitive spirit
aside to help tackle hunger by 1) Mobilizing their brands
and industries to help No Kid Hungry raise $50M over the next three years, 2) Lending
their time and influence to raise awareness and 3)
Advocating for change by celebrating and supporting policies
that ensure kids have access to food all year-round.
"As business leaders, we have a shared responsibility to build a
nation where every child is set up for success, and that starts
with making sure they are nourished," said Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie
Cafe. "This is not just a moral imperative but it's also a
strategic vision that drives our entire network of franchises to
raise funds for No Kid Hungry. I am honored to join my peers
to help rewrite history and make summer hunger a thing of the
past."
Thanks to bipartisan legislation long advocated for by No Kid
Hungry, 30 million children stand to benefit from the USDA's new
and monumental changes to the summer meals program. Traditional
summer meals programs were only reaching 13% of the kids that
needed them due to accessibility barriers like
transportation.
The new programs offer flexible options like multi-day meal
distribution and deliveries that reach kids in remote and rural
areas. Secondly, eligible families will receive $120 in grocery benefits for each eligible child.
No Kid Hungry is leading the effort to roll out these changes and
is planning on raising and investing $50
million over the next three years to help schools, community
organizations and state agencies get the resources they need to
implement the new programs this and every year.
"The expansion of the summer meals program is a huge win, but
summer hunger will only end if local communities have the resources
to implement these new programs" said Kelli
Valade, Denny's president and CEO. "I'm excited to build on
our fourteen-year partnership with No Kid Hungry and our love of
feeding people to make sure our nation's children have the summers
they deserve – free of hunger. I call on my peers to join us – the
time is now."
"No Kid Hungry's promise is that every child in every community
gets the nutrition they need year-round," said Anne Filipic, CEO at Share Our Strength, the
organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. "We have a
monumental opportunity to address the longstanding challenge of
summer hunger and are inspired by our pledge champions who
recognize the importance of using their resources and influence to
help us meet this moment."
The restaurant industry leaders that make up No Kid Hungry's
Dine Advisory Board are the architects behind the CEO pledge. They
are rallying the industry to raise half of the needed investment -
$25 million over the next three
years. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/ceopledge.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in
the United States live with
hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping
launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food
they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid
Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization
committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at
NoKidHungry.org.
Media contact
Allison deBrauwere Ruta, aruta@strength.org
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SOURCE No Kid Hungry