Dairy Processor News

Dairy Council of Arizona takes part in Mission 57: End Student Hunger initiative

All totaled, Mission 57 will provide access to over 8.5 million school meals among 31,000 Arizona students.

GenYOUth, the national non-profit organization founded by America's dairy farmers and the NFL to create healthier school communities, announced today the completion of its Mission 57: End Student Hunger initiative with the awarding of Grab and Go meal equipment and NFL FLAG-In-Schools kits to the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU). Combined with recent grants to Tucson Unified and Casa Grande Elementary School Districts, and with the support of purpose-minded partners including Frito-Lay North America, The Quaker Oats Co., and the PepsiCo Foundation in collaboration with the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee and the Dairy Council of Arizona, GENYOUth has provided school meal equipment packages to 22 Arizona schools over the past three weeks.

At Central High School in Phoenix, more than 100 students joined former Arizona Cardinal Drew Stanton, along with school district officials and community leaders including Principal Leticia Avalos, to celebrate the arrival of new school meal equipment, including breakfast/meal carts, mobile milk coolers, and NFL FLAG-In-Schools kits.

The grant marks the completion of Mission 57: End Student Hunger, a community initiative aligned with Super Bowl LVII which has – through additional support provided by BHHS Legacy Foundation, Fiesta Bowl Charities, Fry's Food Stores, and the ISA Foundation -- provided a total of 57 equipment packages to help tackle food insecurity and increase physical activity in high-need Arizona schools. Nearly one in five children in Arizona are living in food insecurity yet the state ranks in the bottom half of all states in school breakfast participation³.

All totaled, Mission 57 will provide access to over 8.5 million school meals among 31,000 Arizona students. Super Bowl LVII's commitment to tackling student food insecurity will continue on Saturday, February 11, with Taste of the NFL presented by Frito Lay, Quaker and PepsiCo Foundation.

"Dairy farmers in Arizona and throughout the nation are committed year-round to the health and well-being of our nation's children. We are proud to be partnering with GENYOUth and other partners to ensure school meal participation and to provide equitable access to nutritious dairy products," said Tammy Baker, general manager, Dairy Council of Arizona.

"Over 30 million students rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition, and for many, it is the only meal they receive on some days. Our Grab and Go meal equipment has been proven to increase average daily meal participation by as much as 27 percent by reducing barriers to school breakfast in the cafeteria including lack of time and stigma," said Ann Marie Krautheim, CEO of GENYOUth. "Mission 57, with the support of Frito-Lay, Quaker, the PepsiCo Foundation, and other purpose-minded partners, has addressed youth food insecurity where it is most needed, in high-need school communities including Phoenix. Together we are providing a crucial step forward in ending student hunger in Arizona."

"The Phoenix Union High School District serves over 28,000 beautiful young people in Arizona's capital city," said Dr. Chad Gestson, PXU superintendant. "Although our District receives free meals for all students thanks to various national programs, our schools need support feeding our kids. PXU thanks GENYOUth, Frito-Lay, Quaker, the PepsiCo Foundation, and the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee for their generous grant, which will help to increase our student's participation."

"I am honored to be supporting Mission 57: End Student Hunger in Arizona and participating in today's school event in Phoenix Union High School District," said Stanton. "Tackling student food insecurity needs to be a top priority, as daily school meals along with regular physical activity leads to improved health and academic performance."

Added Joan Cetera, vice president of communications for PepsiCo Foods North America: "Frito-Lay, Quaker and PepsiCo Foods North America are proud to support GENYOUth in providing critical equipment that directly impacts students and alleviates food insecurity in Arizona. We are committed to meeting the needs of communities in which we serve, and with the support of PepsiCo Foundation, Frito-Lay and Quaker we are providing essential resources to allow communities to thrive."