Brighter Bites, a Houston, Texas-based national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, announced June 3 the launch of its annual summer and back-to-school fundraising campaign: Nourish Their Potential.
The group said the campaign aims to provide thousands of children and families in under-resourced communities with access to healthy food, nutrition education and wellness resources as schools close for summer and prepare to reopen in the fall.
“This campaign is about more than meals — it’s about giving kids the fuel they need to thrive physically, mentally and emotionally,” Lindsay Jenkins, director of development at Brighter Bites, said in a news release. “With support from the community and our partners, we can reach more families than ever this year.”
As part of a broader $1.5 trillion federal spending reduction proposal currently under consideration in the Senate, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education is at risk of being eliminated, the group said. The implications of such a decision would be devastating to the program. SNAP-Ed is a cornerstone of funding in New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. Together, this represents over 40% of Brighter Bites’ overall funding, which is $4.3 million.
The group said it appears inevitable that, if this funding cut proposal moves forward, Brighter Bites would lose the resources needed to sustain its presence in these communities, impacting over 163,000 individuals. That means fewer families receiving fresh produce, fewer children gaining essential nutrition education and a missed opportunity to build healthy habits that last a lifetime.
Brighter Bites is actively seeking produce companies and distributors to support its work by donating fresh fruits and vegetables to support fall programming. Food banks across the country are facing increased demand while struggling with reduced federal support and fewer donations. This decline in resources has taken a toll on the quantity and variety of produce that Brighter Bites is able to provide for families participating in the program, making the support of the produce industry critical. Contributions of any size are welcome and will directly support the distribution of weekly produce bags for families throughout the school year.
Companies interested in partnering can contact Amy Priebe at amy.priebe@brighterbites.org or visit www.brighterbites.org/produce-partners to learn more and pledge a donation. Donation and partnership information can be found on the Brighter Bites website as well.
