PepsiCo Pouring Support into Global Fight against COVID-19
May 19, 2020 | By Zach Horrall, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
PepsiCo and The PepsiCo Foundation are helping nurture the world by replenishing food systems in local communities around the world affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with a $50 million commitment.
PepsiCo’s investment will bring food and other vital resources to those in need. As part of this effort, PepsiCo will provide over 50 million nutritious meals to at-risk populations within more than 40 countries around the world. Additional vital resources PepsiCo is providing include funding for protective gear for healthcare workers, testing and screening services.
“With COVID-19 profoundly reshaping our lives, it’s important to acknowledge the heroic medical professionals keeping us steady during these turbulent times,” said Ramon Laguarta, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. “At the same time, there is important work being done in other sectors, including our own, to help maintain the supply of foods and beverages around the world. We couldn’t be prouder of our PepsiCo team for the role they play in restocking pantries and refrigerators around the world.”
PepsiCo is investing heavily in North America and focusing on increasing access to food for out-of-school children. This includes providing 20 million meals to communities in need through The PepsiCo Foundation’s Food for Good program.
Additionally, in partnership with No Kid Hungry, PepsiCo is helping to provide emergency grants to schools and community organizations to ensure children nationwide have access to nutrition. Plus, the Official Soda Beverage provider of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has formed a partnership with the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty and USDA to reach rural students.
PepsiCo has committed $3 million to Team Rubicon to assist food delivery options for Feeding America and Meals on Wheels, and an additional $2 million will go to the Children’s Health Fund to help fund mobile health clinics administering COVID-19 screening, testing, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supportive services.
Plus, as restaurants have closed indoor dining across the country in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, PepsiCo has donated $2 million to the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation to support its Restaurant Employee Relief Fund.
PepsiCo’s support for children and local communities doesn’t stop there. The soda and beverage giant has increased its global impact, too, committing $2 million to the UN Foundation as part of the “One World: Together at Home” campaign and the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. PepsiCo also provided support in the form of design, creative and paid media resources.
The campaign, in collaboration with pop music superstar Lady Gaga, raised $127 million to support healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19 through an eight-hour global broadcast event April 18 that featured several celebrities and conversations with, and tributes to, scientists, healthcare professionals and essential workers.
Another $5 million of PepsiCo’s $7 million in global support is being distributed to charitable organizations and food banks around the world responding to COVID-19, including in Egypt, Belgium, South Africa, Thailand, Italy and many more.
From Cairo to Rome, New York to Chicago, and millions smaller communities in between, PepsiCo has committed additional millions of dollars to help those in need get access to food, as well as to increase funding and support to accelerate FDA-approved COVID-19 rapid testing. A full list of organizations PepsiCo is supporting, as well as information on how you can support the efforts across the world, can be found here.