Many still facing hardships from pandemic and aftermath of natural disasters

OKLAHOMA CITY, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With a shared heart for serving, Americold, Kraft Heinz and Feed the Children have been working together to deliver nine semi-truck loads of Ore-Ida Frozen Potatoes to families across the nation living below the poverty line. In total, more than 9,400 miles were traveled to bring 125 tons of frozen potatoes to Calif., Washington, Okla., Illinois and surrounding areas.

Families who were already struggling to make ends meet before the pandemic have since faced compounding variables that have made daily life even more challenging--from surges of new COVID variants, devastation from natural disasters, and worsening of food access, to possible job loss, decreased public transportation options, and increased food costs. According to a report¹ released in April, grocery prices rose by 8.8 percent during the last 12 months, impacting millions of families. Kraft Heinz, Americold and Feed the Children have been working together to bring hope, love and nutritious food to families whose lives have been severely impacted during this unparalleled time. By collaborating, the organizations have been able to distribute food more quickly to those who need it.

It is estimated 1 in 6 children are food insecure due to the economic affects of the pandemic. That's why Feed the Children works with public and private partners to help families gain access to the safe, healthy and nutritious food they need. By working with a vast network of community partners, like Partners in Hope, Feed the Children provides food and essentials, support for educators, and disaster response to help children and their families achieve stable lives, while providing food and resources to help them today.

"Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the risk of food insecurity has risen in our service areas," said Keith Sharp, president of Partners in Hope. "Receiving a donation such as this is such a blessing for our communities. Providing our low-income families with food has a dramatic impact on their lives. The benefits to their physical and mental health are incalculable."

Atlanta-based Americold has a passion for defeating hunger. Playing an integral role in the food supply chain, Americold owns and operates 250 temperature-controlled warehouses around the world, with approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet of storage. Its facilities connect food producers, processors, distributors and retailers to consumers, ensuring that food is preserved and protected on its journey from farm to fork.

"Our partnership with Feed the Children is incredibly meaningful because it is one way that we show our commitment to fighting hunger. We're proud of the unique ways we are able to support their efforts to provide for families experiencing food insecurity. By sharing our supply chain expertise and donating temperature-controlled transportation, we are reducing the time it takes to get food to those who need it. While families across the country face ongoing challenges related to COVID-19 and disasters, we remain committed to supporting the communities where our associates live and work in any way we can," said George Chappelle, CEO of Americold.

Americold has been a generous partner of Feed the Children for more than five years. During its partnership, Americold has donated critical funds, and travelled hundreds of thousands of miles providing complimentary temperature-controlled transporation services of chilled and frozen goods that have helped feed hundreds of thousands of families across America. The organization also provides volunteer opportunities for their associates at Feed the Children community events.

"Kraft Heinz is committed to providing nutritious meals to those in need – and, as a company, aspires to deliver 1.5 billion meals to those in need around the world by 2025," said Rashida La Lande, Global General Counsel and Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer of Kraft Heinz. "We've seen unparalleled suffering during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and we are grateful for partners like Feed the Children who continue to help meet the needs of families and communities across the United States."  

Kraft Heinz and its predecessors have been a valued partner of Feed the Children for many years. Through this partnership, Kraft Heinz has donated food and committed to supporting hunger relief efforts across the nation by providing critical resources to those who need it most. Kraft Heinz continues to share its resources to help generate the most impact for families facing devastation through natural disasters or to combat food insecurity.

"The Americold and Kraft Heinz partnership means so very much to Feed the Children, and more importantly, to the families we serve," said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "Those living paycheck-to-paycheck do not have a safety net. Our partners are a critical part of providing compassionate support to those who are facing tough decisions about how to care for their families."

Feed the Children believes it takes everyone - the nonprofit sector, corporations, community organizations, government officials and food suppliers - to come together to do good for those who need it. When efforts are combined, a greater impact is achieved.

Visit feedthechildren.org for more information about supporting the nonprofit's mission to provide hope and resources for those without life's essentials.

Americold is the world's largest publicly-traded REIT focused on the ownership, operation, acquisitions and development of temperature-controlled warehouses. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Americold owns and operates 250 temperature-controlled warehouses, with approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet of storage, in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. Americold's facilities are an integral component of the supply chain connecting food producers, processors, distributors and retailers to consumers. Visit www.americold.com for more information.

We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company, inspired by our Purpose, Let's Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2021 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of six consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we're dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways. Learn more about our journey by visiting www.kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in 8 countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships.

Visit feedthechildren.org for more information.

¹ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm)

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SOURCE Feed the Children