KFC and Blessings in a Backpack team up to provide nearly 70,000 meals to families in need
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — In the spirit of giving this holiday season, Kentucky Fried Chicken® is hitting the road with longtime partner Blessings in a Backpack to feed families in need with the KFC Sharemobile, a holiday-edition charitable food truck. In total, KFC and its franchisees will provide nearly 70,000 meals to kids and families in need this holiday season, making stops in three U.S. cities.
The KFC Sharemobile will deliver finger lickin’ good family meals to families starting December 5 in communities that have been recently affected by food insecurity or other hardships that make it more difficult for families to put food on the table this holiday:
- Chicago: The KFC Sharemobile is headed to the Windy City, where the pandemic has amplified food insecurity and exacerbated the many hurdles that families face while attempting to put food on the table.
- Orlando: The recent hurricane season devastated communities throughout Florida and displaced hundreds of families, so KFC will be visiting an elementary school in Orlando to provide meals that help bridge the need gap.
- Houston: Lastly, the KFC Sharemobile’s tour will culminate in Houston as many are having a hard time meeting basic needs following several recent events, including an unprecedented winter storm that shut down power, the pandemic and busy hurricane seasons that greatly affected the city the last few years.
At each of these stops, KFC will be surprising families who have faced additional difficulties this year with special gifts targeted to address specific needs identified by their respective schools, to make their holiday season a little brighter.
“Sharing a meal with family or friends is a special part of the holidays,” said Nick Chavez, CMO, KFC U.S. “Alongside our franchisees, we wanted to make that possible for even more families this holiday season. Together with Blessings in a Backpack, we’re taking the Sharemobile on the road to do just that!”
Blessings in a Backpack is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry.
KFC has partnered with Blessings in a Backpack since 2017, donating nearly one million dollars to the nonprofit in recent years. KFC employees at its Louisville, Ky. headquarters volunteer weekly to provide and physically package more than 300 meals for local students to take home for the weekend.
“The generous donations from KFC could not have come at a better time, as these communities have been particularly hard-hit this year with rising food costs, inflation and various natural disasters,” said Erin Kerr, CEO, Blessings in a Backpack. “Because of KFC’s support, we’re able to spread holiday cheer by donating meals for hunger-free weekends and meet each community’s needs.”
In addition to its ongoing partnership with Blessings in a Backpack, KFC restaurants in the U.S. have donated food for over 20 years through Harvest, KFC’s prepared food donation program. Since 1999, KFC restaurants have donated 87+ million pounds of unsold food to 3,500 local community organizations that feed individuals in need.
KFC are also bringing the Sharemobile concept to life in markets across the country through local food donations and other holiday giveback moments. Ampex Brands, a KFC franchisee based in Dallas, recently held its annual Day of Giving event and donated 11,000 meals to school children in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
For more information on the KFC Sharemobile and to donate to Blessings in a Backpack, visit kfc.com/kfcsharemobile. A $150 donation to Blessings in a Backpack will help to feed one child on the weekends for the entire 38-week school year, and a donation as low as four dollars will feed a child for a whole weekend.
About KFC
KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., has been serving up Finger Lickin’ Good Original Recipe® fried chicken since 1952. Beyond the top secret 11 herbs & spices, KFC specialties include the KFC Chicken Sandwich, Extra Crispy™ chicken and Extra Crispy™ Tenders, KFC Famous Bowls®, Pot Pies, Secret Recipe Fries, biscuits and homestyle sides. There are over 26,000 KFC restaurants in more than 150 countries and territories around the world. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM). For more information, visit www.kfc.com. Follow KFC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
About Blessings in a Backpack
Hunger has both short- and long-term negative effects on children’s health and ability to succeed in school. Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry. Blessings in a Backpack will provide 2.5 million hunger-free weekends this school year for kids in 44 states and Washington, D.C. Visit blessingsinabackpack.org to learn how you can help end childhood hunger on the weekends in your community.
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SOURCE Kentucky Fried Chicken
