OKLAHOMA CITY — After nearly a year and a half of living through an on-going pandemic, we continue to struggle with life getting back to some level of normal. This fall, many schools will resume in-person education. However, will children be ready? Millions of low-income households that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 will face additional financial burdens as the school year begins, causing their children to potentially experience new waves of food insecurity. This is a critical moment for children. That’s why The a2 Milk Company™ is partnering with Feed the Children, a leading anti-hunger organization, to donate 10% of sales of every carton purchased (up to $100K) to help provide food and supplies to kids so they can get back to just being kids.
“Going back to school should be an exciting time for children, parents and teachers,” said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. “That’s why partners like a2 Milk® are so important. By working together, we’re able to provide resources like food and essential household items that can take the pressure off family budgets, as well as provide free school and classroom supplies to ease teachers’ burdens and equip students with what they need to make the grade.”
The goal of Feed the Children’s Back-to-School campaign is to reduce the stress families experience when kids return to the classroom by providing resources to fill the gap between what parents and caregivers can afford and what their children need to succeed in a new school year. According to Deloitte’s 2020 back-to-school survey1, parents were expected to spend about $529 per student for the 2020-21 school year, slightly up from the year before.
As families prepare for the 2021-22 school year, many parents are still experiencing financial concerns and anxieties over making school-related expenditures. Some families simply cannot afford to cover those costs due to the economic downturn. Now through early Sept., in an effort to ease that burden, Feed the Children is providing free school supplies to children in low-income households, as well as food and hygiene items to equip students with what they need to be at the head of the class. It is easy to think that with children returning to the classroom, they will receive the food necessary to grow and be healthy. But, that is simply not the case for millions of students.
“When children go back to school, they should be focused on seeing their friends, learning new subjects and socializing on the playground – not food security,” said Blake Waltrip, CEO of The a2 Milk Company™. “Keeping students nourished with fuel that can help them achieve success in school is critically important and we want to be a part of supporting that. Teaming up with Feed the Children will help us achieve our goal during the school year and beyond.”
During a two-week period, Feed the Children, along with its corporate and community partners, will surprise and delight schools across the U.S. by delivering boxes of food, essential items (like shampoo, body wash, deodorant), books and classroom supplies to those who need it most. The cities include:
- Los Angeles, CA
- Dallas, TX
- Chicago, IL
- Newark, NJ
- Miami, FL
“As far as good nutrition and child development, physical development, cognitive development, solid nutrition is so important,” said Justin Swopes, principal of Jean George Elementary. “When you look at it through that social and emotional lens, the worry that comes into play for students, oftentimes the anxiety that can come into play as far as just knowing at the end of the school day ‘I’ve already had my two meals today because I ate breakfast and lunch at school.’ For us to be able to say to that student, ‘Here’s some food to take home with you,’ it can take that anxiety down a notch for students.”
To learn more about how you can make a gift and help vulnerable kids as they go back to school, visit a2milk.com/feedthechildren.
About Feed the Children
At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in eight countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships.
Visit feedthechildren.org for more information.
About The a2 Milk Company™
The a2 Milk CompanyTM was founded in 2000 in New Zealand by Dr. Corran McLachlan after a scientific research showed that proteins in milk affect some people differently. The company entered the U.S. market in 2015, works exclusively with U.S. family farms that are Validus certified for animal welfare, and is now one of the fastest growing brands in the premium milk category in the U.S. with distribution in over 23,000 locations. a2 Milk® comes from cows that naturally produce only the A2 protein. Published research suggests a2 Milk® may help some people avoid stomach discomfort. For more information, visit https://www.a2milk.com.
