GENYOUth, NOLA Public Schools, New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee, and Purpose-minded Organizations Launch Super School Meals, a High Impact Statewide Initiative to Help End Student Hunger Among Louisiana Youth
NEW ORLEANS (October 29, 2024) – GENYOUth, the national non-profit organization founded by America’s dairy farmers and the NFL to help ensure school children thrive by living well-nourished and physically active lives, today announced the launch of Super School Meals. In celebration of the upcoming Super Bowl LIX, this community-based initiative will provide nutrition equipment grants to 59+ Louisiana schools within high-need communities to facilitate Grab and Go school meals to help tackle student hunger in New Orleans and throughout the state. In collaboration with NOLA Public Schools, New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee, Dairy MAX; and purpose-minded corporate sponsors Amazon Access, Domino’s Smart Slice, Frito-Lay North America, PepsiCo Foundation, and The Quaker Oats Company, Super School Meals will help increase equitable access to approximately 9 million school meals annually benefitting over 32,000 students throughout Louisiana.
Super School Meals kicked off today at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans with a celebratory student event featuring special appearances by New Orleans Saints Defensive End Cam Jordan, and local school and government officials including NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams and USDA Food and Nutrition Service Senior Policy Advisor Sakeenah Shabazz. Over 59 Louisiana schools will receive Super School Meal equipment packages in the coming months, including mobile meal carts and milk coolers, thanks to GENYOUth’s generous supporters, as well as through additional support from Entergy and Pennington Biomedical Research Center (which is providing elementary schools with Greaux Healthy nutrition education resource kits). The equipment packages will help increase access to and participation in school meals, which are critical to enhancing students’ nutrition security. Schools will also receive NFL FLAG-In-School kits to promote student participation in physical activity.
“Research shows that school meals are the healthiest meals children receive, providing essential nutrition from foods including milk/dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins to support their growth, wellbeing, and academic performance. It is crucial that we support school nutrition programs by providing the equipment and resources proven to increase equitable access to healthy meals, especially for the students who need them most. More than 30 million students across the country rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., CEO of GENYOUth.
Krautheim highlights that child hunger in Louisiana is above the national average and at a critical level. “School nutrition programs serve as the largest safety net for food security among youth. With the support of purpose-minded organizations, we are proud to strengthen our efforts to combat youth hunger in the 2025 Super Bowl host market and create a lasting impact in Louisiana. No child should experience hunger—except the hunger to learn!”
- 1 in 4 Louisiana children lives in food insecurity¹ compared with 1 in 5 nationally.
- Louisiana’s child poverty rate is 27%, ranking 49th out of the 50 states².
- Median household income in the state ranks 48th out of the 50 states².
- The percentage of free or reduced-price students participating in daily school meals in Louisiana is 91.9%, with the number increasing 32.6% over the past 10 years.²
“Alternative school meal delivery models, like using Grab and Go equipment, can help make nutrition operations more easeful and are proven to increase school meal participation. It is awesome to be at Benjamin Frankin High School today to celebrate the launch of Super School Meals. I appreciate the work that GENYOUth and purpose-driven organizations are doing to advance nutrition security for students, and honor NOLA Public Schools for working every day to ensure all students are well-nourished and set up to thrive,” said Sakeenah Shabazz, Senior Policy Advisor at the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
“We are excited to host the Super School Meals program kickoff in our school district. When the community comes together on behalf of our children, we remove barriers and ensure they get the nutrition they need so they can remain healthy and focused so that they can succeed academically and beyond,” said NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams. “Thank you to GENYOUth and purpose-driven organizations for their continued commitment to our scholars’ health supporting their overall wellbeing.”
“Super School Meals is a critical part of the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee’s goal of driving lasting social and economic impact across our local communities,” said Jay Cicero, CEO, New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee and Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. “With the support of Entergy as our community impact partner, we are proud to collaborate with GENYOUth to tackle food insecurity and deliver the equipment and resources Louisiana schools need to help their students thrive in and out of the classroom.”
“Frito-Lay, Quaker, and the PepsiCo Foundation are committed to providing high-need school districts with equitable access to nutritious foods and other critical resources as a way to address food insecurity,” said C.D. Glin, President, PepsiCo Foundation, and Global Head of Social Impact at PepsiCo. “Nutritious food can positively impact children’s physical health, cognitive development, and educational outcomes leading to a healthier future for these children and creating lasting change. Through strategic partnerships and programs, we seek to tackle global challenges and do the most good for the most people in our communities. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work.”
“As a restaurant company, we recognize the power of food – because if a student is hungry, they can’t unlock their full potential. Our commitment to student health and wellness is reflected in our Domino’s Smart Slice Pizza, a delicious and nutritious meal that is served in schools across America,” said Joe Jordan, President of U.S. Global Services, Domino’s. “Domino’s is proud to be a supporter of GENYOUth since the organization’s inception. Our support of Super School Meals is a key element in Domino’s community outreach, which works to address the issue of food insecurity in our communities.”
“Amazon Access is committed to reducing barriers for lower-income individuals to access what they need to live healthy lives,” said Nancy Dalton, Director, Amazon Access. “We believe everyone should have access to healthy food, and your ability to access food should not be dictated by where you live. We are proud to team up with GENYOUth to ensure students in high-need Louisiana school districts and parishes have access to quality school meals.”
“Super School Meals reflects the long-standing commitment of dairy farmers to the health and well-being of Louisiana’s children. We are proud to collaborate with GENYOUth and other purpose-driven organizations to ensure all students have access to nutritious dairy products as part of their school meals,” said Marty McKinzie, COO, Dairy MAX.
“I am proud to support Super School Meals in Louisiana and to be participating in today’s school event. As a professional football player, I see first-hand the critical role school nutrition plays in the lives of students. We must all do our part to ensure students have access to school meal and physical activity programs so children can be their best selves,” said Cam Jordan, Defensive End for the New Orleans Saints.
Super School meals will roll out in the coming months, leading up to Super Bowl LIX and its premier purpose-driven culinary event, Taste of the NFL, on Saturday, February 8, 2025, of which GENYOUth is the charitable partner. Net proceeds raised from Taste of the NFL will benefit schools in Louisiana and throughout the nation. The collective impact of the 2024 Taste of the NFL event held in Las Vegas generated $2.0 million in revenue, which benefited over 1,000 schools and 550,000 students by increasing access to 148 million school meals in all 32 NFL club markets.
For more information on Taste of the NFL, visit TasteoftheNFL.com.
To help GENYOUth end student hunger, visit GENYOUthNow.org/donate.
¹ Feeding America
² FRAC Resource Library
GENYOUth is a 501c3 national nonprofit dedicated to helping school children thrive by living a well-nourished and physically active life. A catalyst for youth health and wellness, GENYOUth has supported over 77,000 U.S. schools to equip them with the resources needed to ensure millions of children have equitable access to nutrition and physical activity. Founded by America’s dairy farmers and the NFL, GENYOUth convenes a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations to ensure all children are nourished and active to be their best selves. With a commitment to end student hunger, GENYOUth provides nutrition grants to increase access to healthy school meals among food insecure students. GENYOUth is the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience that raises awareness and generates funds to fight hunger and food insecurity to support the organization’s commitment to end student hunger. To learn more and support GENYOUth visit www.GENYOUthnow.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee
The New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Host Committee, led by the New Orleans Saints and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, is responsible for planning, executing, and hosting the City’s record-tying 11th NFL Championship game on
February 9, 2025. The Host Committee works in partnership with the National Football League to deliver a successful Super Bowl LIX while driving lasting social and economic impact in the Greater New Orleans area. Learn more about the New Orleans Super LIX Host Committee at www.nolasuperbowl.com.
About USDA Food and Nutrition Service
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s®, Doritos®, Cheetos®, Gatorade®, Pepsi-Cola®, Mountain Dew®, Quaker®, and SodaStream®. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo® is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo® Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com
About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America, Inc. is the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay® snacks include Lay’s® and Ruffles® potato chips, Doritos® and Tostitos® tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos® snacks, Stacy’s® pita chips, PopCorners® popped-corn snack, SunChips® multigrain snacks and Fritos® corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay® at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on X (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).
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Media Contacts:
Eric Slutsky, GENYOUth, eric.slutsky@genyouthnow.org, 917-391-6709
Taslin Alfonzo, NOLA Public Schools, talfonzo@nolapublicschools.com, 504-202-7229
Ellie Hamblen, New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee, ehamblen@gnosf.org, 318-709-8162