Smart promotion feeds kids’ brains

Target this month expanded a pilot program called Meals for Minds and enlisted the aid of two of its largest suppliers. Kraft Food and Procter & Gamble joined with the retailer for a promotion that began July 11 and will run through Aug. 14 whereby 5% of the purchase price of the select products sold at Target will be donated to Target’s Meals for Minds program. Through the program, Target and its supplier partners expect to donate up to $800,000 to Feeding America.

Target began piloting the Meals for Minds school food pantry program last spring in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Miami, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Chicago. The pilot schools were selected by participating food banks in cooperation with local schools.  At each school, a majority of students qualify for participation in the free and reduced-price lunch program. As part of the pilot, Target is partnering with Feeding America to develop the tools needed to help local food banks bring the Target Meals for Minds school food pantry program to more schools in their communities. Currently, a number of school food pantry models are being tested, including in-school and mobile pantry versions.