Report Highlights Nonprofit’s Impact and Distribution of Over 8M Pounds of Fresh Food in Schools Throughout the Country in 2023
HOUSTON – Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, announces the release of its 2023 annual report. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has distributed 60+ million pounds of fresh produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than one million individuals.
Readers will get a closer look at Brighter Bites’ financials, the partnerships that make its mission possible, information about the unique produce distributed, and a general look back at 2023. The annual report also contains information about plans for 2024.
Key highlights found within the report include:
- Over 8,000,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables were distributed in the eleven cities across the country which Brighter Bites serves: Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, Southwest Florida, Salinas, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Antonio and Pheonix.
- 12% increase from 7,134,405 in 2022.
- There were 2,735,333 total family and classroom encounters where Brighter Bites staff interacted directly with families and students at produce distribution and in the classroom.
26% increase from 2,167,626 in 2022.
- The organization received 6,796,759 pounds of in-kind donations from food banks and produce industry partners in 2023.
- 5% increase from 6,459,160 in 2022.
- $17,522,106 of fresh produce distributed at retail value, based on current USDA data.
- 15% increase from $15,196,282.60 in 2022.
- 20,921 nutrition education lessons and activities were taught in classrooms across the country.
“At the heart of our mission is the belief that access to fresh produce and nutrition education are fundamental rights for all individuals and families, regardless of their socioeconomic status,” said Lisa Helfman, founder of Brighter Bites. “Over the course of the past year, we have been able to make tangible differences in the lives of countless families across the country.”
In 2023, Brighter Bites implemented the following activities, strengthening its impact:
- Launched Produce RX Program as part of its partnership with UTHealth and DoorDash focusing on Food is Medicine.
- This initiative laid the groundwork for the commitment to improve food security, diet quality, and health outcomes for vulnerable communities as part of the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities.
- Opened programming in San Antonio and Phoenix, marking the nonprofits tenth and eleventh cities.
- Coordinated over 18,630 hours of volunteer work to ensure Brighter Bites families were supplied with food and nutrition education.
“I am so appreciative for the unwavering commitment and support to our mission from all of our donors and partners at every level of our organization,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “Together, we have made significant strides in addressing health and food insecurity by providing fresh fruits and vegetables along with vital nutrition education to under-resourced families in our communities. This results in creating new consumers for the produce industry and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. In the face of challenges, your support and generosity has been a beacon of hope. Thank you for your extraordinary support!”
Brighter Bites’ 2023 annual report can be downloaded here. To learn more about Brighter Bites, visit brighterbites.org, or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or YouTube.
About Brighter Bites:
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided over 60 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than one million individuals (including teachers) in Austin, Bakersfield, Dallas, Houston, Las Cruces, Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York City, Salinas, San Antonio, Southwest Florida, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.
