Pacific Foods Nourishes Local Nonprofits with $60,000 in Grants

 Pacific Foods’ long-standing commitments to food access, hunger and sustainable food systems are perfectly reflected in three local nonprofits it awarded grants: Schoolyard Farms, Urban Gleaners and Zenger Farm. The $20,000 grants give the nonprofits unrestricted funds they can apply to anything that strengthens their work enriching people and planet.

“We believe everyone should have access to high-quality, nourishing food,” said Joe Folds, president of Pacific Foods. “That’s why it’s so gratifying to be able to support the good work these nonprofits are doing each day to create more equitable access to nutritious food in our community.”

This year’s grant recipients include:

• A motivator: Schoolyard Farms plants the seed of healthy living, working with students from K-12, teaching them about farming practices and nutrition through school gardens.
• A warrior: Urban Gleaners fights the onset of childhood hunger and food waste in Oregon’s low-income communities by offering access to free, fresh and unsold foods from local restaurants, grocery stores and bakeries.
• An educator: Zenger Farm promotes sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship, community development and access to quality food for all by engaging youth, farmers and health professionals nearby through a number of targeted programs.

This year’s grants are part of the inaugural Campbell Soup Foundation’s Community Impact program, boosting Pacific Foods’ history of community giving. In 2014, after identifying holiday breaks as a nutrition gap in school backpack programs, Pacific started a food box program now serving 23 schools in the greater Portland area. Employees dedicate paid volunteer hours to pack boxes filled with three days of nutrient-dense, easy-to-prepare meals. In all, the program serves more than 100,000 meals per year to local students in need.

Furthermore, Pacific’s commitment to the Oregon Food Bank has resulted in the company providing more than nine million nourishing meals in the last 20+ years to food insecure families around the state. One way Pacific works with the Food Bank is through a creative collaboration where Pacific turns surplus crops from local farmers into wholesome soups, then donates them to the food bank – saving ingredients, while nourishing the environment.

About Pacific Foods

Founded in 1987 in Tualatin, Ore., Pacific Foods is dedicated to inspiring people to know more about their food, where it comes from and how it’s grown by delivering delicious, all-natural and organic foods made with respect for land, animals and people. Pacific Foods offers a wide variety of all natural and organic food and beverages including soups, broths, bone broths and plant-based beverages. The company’s products are sold throughout the U.S. and Canada in mainstream grocery and natural food stores. For more information, visit www.pacificfoods.com.