PRESS RELEASE: ORLANDO, Fla. – Aug. 3, 2020 – Power Your Lunchbox launched this week to help families set up a routine for nutritious lunches no matter where they are enjoying them this school year – at school or at home. The program, now in its seventh year, has reworked its typical back-to-school messaging and content, developed new lunchbox inspiration and pulled together resources around distance learning and mental health to better serve families.
This year, the program’s health-conscious brand partners have committed to a donation of $14,000 to United Fresh Start Foundation BB #:145458 to increase access to fresh produce for children and families. Since 2014, Power Your Lunchbox has raised more than $150,000 to benefit charities that support families.
“We recognize back to school will look differently for every family this year, but what doesn’t change is the importance of nutritious lunches and meals to keep students’ brains powered all day long,” said Trish James, vice president, Produce for Kids. “We are excited to align with United Fresh Start Foundation to benefit the next generation of consumers, supporting their ability to access, select and consume healthy fresh fruits and vegetables every day.”
Seven health-conscious brands will join forces to help families start the year on a healthy foot, while making a difference. Brands supporting Power Your Lunchbox are: Bee Sweet Citrus, Crispy Green®, Litehouse®, Nature Fresh Farms, Pero Family Farms®, Shuman Farms’ RealSweet®, and Zespri™ Kiwifruit.
“Keeping immune systems in top shape, mental health and meal prep will be top of mind this school year as we all navigate different ways of learning,” said Produce for Kids registered dietitian, Sally Kuzemchak. “Families are in need of a multi-purpose Power Your Lunchbox program this year and we are prepared to provide them with the resources they need to stay healthy and feel great.”
Poweryourlunchbox.com spotlights kid-friendly and registered dietitian-approved lunchbox inspiration, content featuring brand partners, back-to-school tips to help families through new ways of learning, and general ideas for navigating the new school year. Additional elements to the campaign include e-newsletters targeting families, support from current Produce for Kids influencer network, and social media promotion during the campaign timeframe.
Instagram will be a key platform for the program, focusing in on Produce for Kids’ audience of nearly 80,000 and the popular #PowerYourLunchbox hashtag, which saw more than 47 million impressions last year. Regular Facebook Live cooking demonstrations with Produce for Kids’ own Amanda Keefer and her daughters will be scheduled throughout August and September and average a reach of 10,000+ viewers.
Produce for Kids also will host the annual #PowerYourLunchbox Twitter party on Aug. 20 at 4 p.m. ET encouraging questions and comments from families. The Twitter party will focus on everything back-to-school from fueling kids’ minds with healthy lunchbox ideas to organization ideas, distance learning and meal prep.
Power Your Lunchbox started in 2014 to help families during the back-to-school season. In 2016, the program was awarded a Marketing Excellence Award from Produce Business. Power Your Lunchbox was the first-place recipient of the Best International Initiative for Marketing Fresh Produce to Children in 2019 for the Power Your Lunchbox program at the London Produce Show and Conference.
About Produce for Kids
Produce for Kids® believes in creating a healthier generation. As a cause marketing organization, Produce for Kids creates programs that provide easy, fun, and inspiring recipes. Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Farms, Produce for Kids has raised more than $7 million to benefit children and families. To learn more about Produce for Kids and healthy eating, visit www.produceforkids.com, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.
About the United Fresh Start Foundation
The United Fresh Start Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization focused exclusively on increasing children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Affiliated with the United Fresh Produce Association, the Foundation is committed to helping today’s children achieve the public health goal to make half their plate fruits and vegetables in order to live longer and healthier lives. We work to create an environment in which kids have easy access to high-quality, great-tasting and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables, whenever and wherever they are choosing snacks or a meal, ensuring kids everywhere are Growing Up Fresh. More information at: www.unitedfreshstart.org.
