Revolution Foods and Prudential Financial Partner to Guarantee Newark-area Students Have Greater Access to Healthy Food

NEWARK, N.J., March 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks in large part to support from Prudential Financial, thousands of students throughout the Greater Newark community will complete their school day with a healthy supper. According to Revolution Foods, a leading provider of kid-inspired and chef-crafted meals that currently provides afterschool meals for the Newark Public Schools (NPS), Prudential's grant support of $140,000 will enable NPS to purchase much-needed equipment to support the afterschool supper meal program across the district. As a result, refrigerators and milk coolers will be installed at 38 afterschool programs serving more than 2,200 suppers daily from Revolution Foods—over 400,000 fresh, nutritious meals per year—to at-risk students in grades K-12 throughout Newark.

"The problem of food insecurity among school children is very real, and this important initiative will provide Newark students, who are struggling with hunger, critical access to healthy food," comments Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. "Now, thanks to Prudential Financial and in partnership with Revolution Foods, Newark Public Schools are able to serve fresh, tasty and healthy foods to more students, so that every student is not only well-nourished but offered the best possible opportunity to achieve their academic potential."

In the last decade alone, Prudential has committed more than $1 billion to Newark. As part of that commitment, the company is dedicated to working with the local government and public and private partners to create inclusive economic pathways for Newark residents. This begins with ensuring all students have access to a high-quality education and fostering an environment where students are able to learn better when they have access to healthy meals. In addition to this grant, Prudential has also invested $10 million in Revolution Foods through its impact investments team.

"Prudential is dedicated to creating partnerships that strengthen communities, help tackle social challenges and solve complex problems in order to create a shared prosperity," says Sarah Keh, vice president, corporate social responsibility, Prudential Financial. "Our strong sense of social responsibility guides efforts like these with Revolution Foods and the Newark Public School helping families, now and in the future, achieve financial security and the peace of mind that comes with a more secure future."

The equipment, funded by this grant, will help NPS implement a more robust supper menu designed and produced by Revolution Foods, including a diverse culinary array of clean-label, fresh options available daily, with each supper incorporating a healthy carbohydrate, lean protein, fresh fruit, vegetables and milk.

Revolution Foods co-founder and chief impact officer Kirsten Saenz Tobey comments, "We're committed to transforming citywide wellness, so it's exciting to see community-based partnerships like this help make healthy food more accessible after school, especially for at-risk students who may not be able to eat dinner at home. Having these essential tools more readily available will enable us to deliver on our mission of fresh, thoughtfully crafted, well-balanced meals that exceed federal nutrition guidelines to ensure the highest level of nutrition."

Revolution Foods has sourced, designed, produced and delivered meals for the afterschool supper program of NPS since 2015. Over the years, the program has grown and now is offered at 68 locations, including school sites, community centers, church groups and other local sites as sponsored by the district. As part of the program, students within the Greater Newark community can receive a free supper meal at any one of these 68 locations—regardless of their enrollment status with NPS. Until now, lack of refrigeration limited the scope of meals served and created obstacles to ensuring reliable fresh food were served daily to NPS students. 

Revolution Foods serves early childhood education centers, districts, charter schools, and community and afterschool youth programs in over 400 cities and towns across fifteen states throughout the U.S, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Austin, Newark, New York City, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. For more information on Revolution Foods visit RevolutionFoods.com.

ABOUT REVOLUTION FOODS
Founded in 2006 by two moms on a mission to build lifelong healthy eaters, Revolution Foods set out to solve the problem of limited access to healthy meals for every child in America. The company's innovative approach began with serving freshly prepared, healthy meals to students in schools nationwide, and the company has now designed, produced and delivered over 320 million kid-inspired, chef-crafted meals to sites across 15 states, including childhood education centers, districts, charters, and community and afterschool youth programs. Revolution Foods aims to promote overall family wellness by equipping parents, teachers and students with valuable tools and resources to continue positive nutrition education beyond the lunch line. Together with best-in-class community partners such as FoodCorps and Share Our Strength, Revolution Foods brings nutrition curriculum, cooking classes, gardening lessons and other education events to students beyond the cafeteria. Revolution Foods is a certified B corporation that aims to drive systems change—from policy and food systems evolution to driving positive student academic and health outcomes, the company is setting the standard for how businesses can build a brighter future for our nation's youth and families.

Media Contact:
Paige Thornley 
Havas Formula
(619) 234-0345
[email protected] 

SOURCE Revolution Foods

Related Links

http://www.revolutionfoods.com