PepsiCo joins effort to help families in need

ATLANTA — PepsiCo and Feed the Children have teamed up with Compassion Atlanta and Walmart to distribute two tractor trailers full of food and essentials to 800 Atlanta-area children and families in need.



PepsiCo is a longtime Feed the Children partner and donated Frito-Lay variety packs of baked snacks, Quaker products and Propel and Tropicana beverages to families. Local retailer Walmart donated bananas and potatoes as part of the event. Feed the Children partner agency Compassion Atlanta pre-identified families receiving the donations. Each family also received a 25-pound box of food, a 10-pound box of personal care items and Avon products. The boxes are designed to help support a family of four for up to one week.



The distribution is part of Feed the Children's Americans Feeding Americans Caravan, which has helped more than 465,000 families across the country since it began in 2009.



"Many of the families we serve on the Americans Feeding Americans Caravan are making hard choices between paying bills and feeding their families," said Kevin Hagan, Feed the Children president and CEO. "With support from PepsiCo we are helping to ease the burden for families struggling in this economy."



PepsiCo's product portfolio includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Its main businesses are Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola.