Parent Survey: Foster Farms' Food 4 Thought Pilot Program has Positive Impact on Academics and Significantly Helps Family Food Budgets

LIVINGSTON, Calif., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, 500 elementary students in Foster Farms' Food 4 Thought pilot program received their last grocery delivery of the school year. According to a survey of parents whose children participated in the Foster Farms-sponsored program, Food 4 Thought is having a positive impact on students both in the classroom and at home. As a result of the program's success, Foster Farms, with the added support of new sponsors, will be continuing and expanding the program for 2010-2011 to reach 325 additional students – 825 in total – with more than 125 of those new students in Merced County alone.

A recent survey of 341 Food 4 Thought parents found Foster Farms' program to be extremely effective:

• 82 percent reported that their child's grades improved as a result of participating in Foster Farms' Food 4 Thought program.
• 91 percent said the program improved their child's personal life.
• 89 percent responded that their child's communications skills have improved as a result of their participation in the program.
• The majority report that Food 4 Thought significantly helped their family's grocery budget.

"Food 4 Thought has had a significant positive impact on our students and their families," said George Solis, principal of Campus Park Elementary, a Merced County Food 4 Thought school. "We are grateful to Foster Farms for bringing this program to our school and helping to build a strong foundation for the children's future."

According to after-school administrators, news of the program's expansion couldn't come at a better time given expected budget cuts throughout schools in Stanislaus and Merced counties this fall and combined with the area's continually high unemployment rates and increasing demand for food assistance.

Despite California's agricultural bounty, 4.5 million Californians – one in four of them children – still go hungry, and the unemployment rate remains high in Stanislaus and Merced counties – 19 percent and 22 percent, respectively(1). Studies show that children in need of food assistance are more likely to miss school. With the help of the Food 4 Thought program, three-quarters of respondents stated that their child's attendance improved. Survey findings indicated that the majority of student participants have a better understanding of their schoolwork, can work better independently and have a more positive attitude both at home and at school.

"My son was having trouble in math, but he is now showing a bit of improvement. Thank you," responded one parent whose child is a Food 4 Thought participant. "This program has been a great help as [I am] a single parent," wrote another parent. "It makes the lives of my kids much richer."

During the 2009-2010 school year, Foster Farms' incentive-based program supported 500 elementary students at four schools in Stanislaus and Merced counties. In exchange for their participation in eight hours of after-school tutorial programs, students received a 15- to 18-pound bag of groceries twice monthly. During the 2009-2010 school year, the students collectively earned more than 162,000 pounds of groceries.  

The Foster Farms Food 4 Thought pilot program served students at Agnes M. Baptist Elementary, Josephine Chrysler Elementary and George Eisenhut Elementary in Modesto and Campus Park Elementary in Livingston. Schools were designated by the county school districts based on free or reduced school lunch participation and existing after school programs. These schools will continue with the program and new schools will be added.

With deep school budget cuts and high demand for food assistance persisting, the survey demonstrates that Food 4 Thought helps bridge the gap for needy students and their families in these economically hard-hit counties. Due to the program's success, other corporate sponsors, including Bank of America, have heeded Foster Farms' call to action – providing critical support now that Stanislaus County stands to lose up to $30 million in school funding(2).

"Foster Farms is committed to the future and success of our children here in the Valley," said Ira Brill, director of marketing and advertising services for Foster Farms and a Second Harvest board member. "We couldn't be more proud of the positive results of the parent survey, which demonstrate that Food 4 Thought is working on all fronts – both academically and in helping families make ends meet. We look forward to reaching even more families with this worthwhile program in the coming school year."

Foster Farms' goal with Food 4 Thought was to start locally, expand efforts and encourage other organizations to join the movement by helping spread the program throughout the West Coast. In addition to Food 4 Thought, Foster Farms is expanding its contributions to local food banks throughout the West by matching (dollar for dollar) all donations made at festivals and events during its "Say No to Plumping" West Coast Summer Tour. For more information about Second Harvest Food Bank or donating to the Food 4 Thought program visit: www.localfoodbank.org, www.cafoodbanks.org or support California Food Banks at the 2010 West Coast community events in which Foster Farms will be participating.

About Food 4 Thought

Food 4 Thought is an incentive-based program that helps address two fundamental needs - hunger and education. In exchange for eight hours in after school tutorial programs – four in academic, four in extracurricular – student participants receive a 15- to 18-pound bag of groceries twice monthly. Food 4 Thought has been operated by Second Harvest in San Joaquin County for the past 13 years through support by grants and individual fundraisers. The program now serves 2,700 students at 38 school sites. Foster Farms underwrote the 2009-2010 pilot program in Stanislaus and Merced counties to serve 500 elementary students in these counties. It will continue its support the program next year and expand it to serve 825 students.

About Foster Farms

Since 1939, West Coast families have depended on Foster Farms for premium quality chicken and turkey products. Family-owned and operated, the company continues its legacy of excellence and commitment to quality established by its founders, Max and Verda Foster. Foster Farms specializes in fresh, all natural chicken and turkey products free of preservatives, additives or injected sodium enhancers. Based in California's Central Valley, with ranches also in the Pacific Northwest, the company's fresh chicken and turkey are produced in or near each region served. Foster Farms also produces delicious pre-marinated, ready-to-cook and fully cooked products that meet the quality and convenience needs of today's home cooks, retailers, warehouse clubs and foodservice customers. The company's commitment to excellence, honesty, quality, service and people is a source of great pride and a longtime family tradition.

(1) Unemployment Rate by County, Not Seasonally Adjusted." Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://data.bls.gov/map/servlet/map.servlet.MapToolServlet?state=06&datatype=unemployment&year=2010&period=M03&survey=la&map=county&seasonal=u

(2) Sbranti, J.N. "Stanislaus County Schools May Lose Millions." The Modesto Bee. http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/31/1109030/stanislaus-schools-may-lose-millions.html

SOURCE Foster Farms