The COVID-19 pandemic underscored how many families are facing food insecurity with food shelves reporting record numbers of visitors over the last couple of years. As a food company, Post Consumer Brands believes it has a responsibility to help those facing food insecurity, which is why the company launched a new companywide volunteer initiative called “Ingredients for Good” during April’s National Volunteer Month.
With the goal of strengthening its local communities and creating a more inclusive and equitable culture, 500 employee volunteers across the 12 U.S. and Canadian locations where Post Consumer Brands operates came together to participate in hands-on volunteer projects, including stocking food shelves, packing backpacks, delivering food and more. With a combined 700 volunteer hours, 30,000 meals were donated or packed and 18 nonprofits were positively impacted by the company’s efforts. Additionally, Post Consumer Brands donated nearly $60,000 to help address the issue of food insecurity.
“At Post Consumer Brands, we’re committed to helping our neighbors who don’t have enough to eat,” said Nicolas Catoggio, president and chief executive officer at Post Consumer Brands. “I’m so proud to see the commitment our employees have to their communities and I truly appreciate everyone’s dedication to giving back. This work is valuable and it is making a real difference in our communities.”
In the United States and Canada, an estimated 43 million people live in food-insecure homes. In both countries, people of color, especially Black and indigenous people, are disproportionately affected by food insecurity.
Post Consumer Brands’ “Ingredients for Good” initiative will become an annual initiative each April aimed at helping people put food on the table.
Here is a look at all the local projects:
- The Asheboro, N.C. plant participated in Schools of Randolph County‘s Backpack Pals program to pack snack and supplies kits for local students
- The Bentonville, Ark. office partnered with the Samaritan Community Center to pack snack kits for local families through their Snack Pack Program
- The Cincinnati, Ohio office partnered with Cincinnati Freestore Food Bank to pack meal kits for underserved communities
- The Cobourg, Ontario plant team partnered with the Denise House, Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank, Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre to increase access to food and resources through fundraisers, donation drives, and volunteer work
- The Jonesboro, Ark. plant held a donation drive throughout the month of April and donated food and proceeds to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank
- The Lakeville, Minn. office team partnered with the Greater Twin Cities United Way to pack culturally-specific meal kits for underserved local populations, distributed via 360 Communities and CAPI USA
- The Niagara Falls, Ontario plant team donated pallets of cereal to a food drive held by the Niagara Regional Police Service
- The Northfield, Minn. plant and distribution center teams participated in a packing event through the local Feed My Starving Children organization
- The Sparks, Nev. plant team held a thank you event for local first responders and handed out cereal
- The Toronto office team donated food and packed meal kits through the Daily Bread Food Bank
- The Tremonton, Utah plant team provided floor repair and maintenance volunteer services to the local Tremonton Food Pantry
Schools of Randolph County’s Backpack Pals program
Employees of Post Consumer Brands pack bags of food for local school children as a part of the “Ingredients for Good” initiative on Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2022, in Asheboro, N.C. (Brent Clark/Post Consumer Brands)
Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre and the Denise House
Justin Hobart, Ainsley Workman, Brian Maves, Janelle Eisler, Tessa DeCoste, Carly Cunningham, Doug Campbell, Rhonda Schissler, and Craig Byers at the Post Consumer Brands “Ingredients for Good” initiative benefitting the Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre and the Denise House on Thursday, Apr. 28, 2022, in Cobourg, Ontario. (Dale Wilcox/ Post Consumer Brands)
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Employees of Post Consumer Brands are posing for photos after assembling specific meals for Latin and Hmong communities at the Post Consumer Brands and United Way “Ingredients for Good” volunteering event. The partnership is focusing on providing meals to underserved communities in the Twin Cities on Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2022, in Lakeville, Minn. (Stephanie Rau-Barber/ Post Consumer Brands)
Feed my Starving Children
Post Consumer Brands employee volunteers pack meals for Feed my Starving Children as part of the “Ingredients for Good” initiative on Friday, Apr. 22, 2022, in Eagan, Minn. (Craig Lassig/ Post Consumer Brands)
First Responders Event
Volunteers package cereals to be donated to first responders in the community on Wednesday, Apr. 20, 2022 in sparks, Nev. Local warehouse staff donated cereal to first responders within the community as part of the Post Consumer brands “Ingredients for Good” initiative, with any remaining boxes going to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. (Trevor Bexon/ Post Consumer Brands)
Tremonton Food Pantry
Post Consumer Brands employee, Melissa Hansen, preps a space for painting while volunteering on a service project at the Tremonton food pantry on Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2022 in Tremonton, Utah (Kim Raff/ Post Consumer Brands)
Read more about Post Consumer Brands’ community and responsibility efforts.