ConAgra Program Combats Child Hunger
Among people suffering from poverty, it's known as heat vs. eat: a heart-wrenching decision many poor people must make between paying the electric bill and putting food on the
table.
The ConAgra Foods Foundation folks learned about the phrase "heat vs. eat" when conducting research on child hunger a few years back. "A lot Americans don't believe child
hunger is an issue in this country," says Lynn Phares, president of the ConAgra Foods Foundation. "They don't think [hunger is a problem] because they often contrast it with late
night ads" asking for financial contributions to help fight abject hunger and poverty throughout so-called Third World nations.
But child hunger remains an acute problem in the U.S., with an estimated 13 million children going hungry for at least part of the year and many of them going to bed with an
empty stomach.
ConAgra wants to change that equation through its Feeding Children Better Program, PR NEWS' Platinum PR winner for cause related marketing, along with PR agency Cone Inc. The
program, which launched in 1999 at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, is in partnership with America's Second Harvest, one of the nation's biggest hunger-relief organizations,
and the Center on Hunger and Poverty, the premiere research institution addressing hunger and poverty.
The program works as follows: ConAgra distributes financial grants to local food banks, which, in turn, distribute food to Kids Cafes, or kids-only afterschool programs that
serve free, hot meals. ConAgra, which has already spent more than $15 million in the program's first four years, also bought 100 trucks to deliver food to the Kids Cafes and
invested in technology networks to enhance communications among the food bank networks. "Every food bank has transportation needs and this way we can get more food into the
system," Phares says. "It's not just about food but saving kids from any potential mischief during those delicate hours of 3 p.m. - 6 p.m," she says.
The program, which is open-ended, grew out of ConAgra's existing philanthropy and is designed to be more strategic than previous efforts. "We wanted a program tied to our
business, and one that meant a lot to our stakeholders," Phares says. "Hunger and nutrition makes sense for us and we've done a lot of analysis that shows that hunger is in need
of greater attention."
Both Phares and Cone stressed that in order for any cause-related marketing program to succeed it must have the full backing of the C-suite and not just a lot of lip service.
ConAgra Chairman-CEO Bruce Rohde has "championed" the Feeding Children Better Program, Phares says. That support filters down to the rank-and file, as many ConAgra employees have
volunteered to assist with the Feeding Children Better program throughout the country. "There's a deep commitment to deal with the core strategies related to child hunger," says
Carol Cone, president of Cone Inc.
Through PSAs in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and the Internet, the campaign will deliver an estimated $100 million in donated print and broadcast media through 2004. PSAs
are localized to refer people to the food banks; network affiliates in Amarillo, Texas, Memphis and Minneapolis, have recently run stories on the program. And in a real coup, The
Wall Street Journal ran a story last year on the trucks ConAgra purchased to distribute food, which once belonged to now-defunct Webvan (all the rage during the Internet boom).
And last year, as part of a package on Hebrew National's "Mom Squad" program Phares appeared on "Fox and Friends" to talk about the feeding children program as it relates to
Hebrew National, a ConAgra brand.
The campaign also directs Americans to http://www.FeedingChildrenBetter.org and 1.800.FEED.KIDS, resources created by ConAgra Foods to help citizens address child
hunger in their own communities. To date, the Feeding Children Better Web site has received more than 785,000 visitors, and 1.800.FEED.KIDS has processed more than 11,000 calls.
The Ad Council (Washington, D.C.) is also playing an important part in ConAgra's efforts, with a three-year multimedia public service campaign.
Business groups have taken notice of ConAgra's efforts. For example, last December the U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded ConAgra with the Corporate Citizenship Award in
recognition of the Feeding Children Better Program.
The program is currently being evaluated to see how ConAgra can build on it. Phares, for one, would like to see it continue. "You never forget the image of a little boy
wrapping up food for his sister, who is too young to go to a Kids Café," she says. "We care deeply about this."
ConAgra Foods' Feeding Children Better Program
- Getting food to children who need it. ConAgra Foods became the national sponsor of Kids Cafes, kids-only afterschool programs that serve free, hot, nutritious meals in
safe and nurturing environments. ConAgra Foods has provided start-up funding for more than 130 new Kids Cafes to date. These Kids Cafes will collectively serve an estimated 1-1.2
million meals per year. ConAgra Foods also provides funds to strengthen or expand existing Kids Cafes. - Repairing breakdowns in food distribution. Through a combination of new trucks and investments in technology and transportation programs, ConAgra Foods is helping to recapture
millions of pounds of food that is currently lost or discarded and helping food banks move food faster, farther and cheaper. ConAgra Foods has purchased 100 trucks to date for
food banks across the country. - Raising national awareness about child hunger. ConAgra Foods, in partnership with the Ad Council, launched a three-year multimedia public service advertising campaign to
educate Americans about the silent epidemic of child hunger.
Source: ConAgra Foods
Contacts: Lynn Phares, 402.595.4153; Carol Cone, 617.272.8302