Brighter Bites is celebrating three years of partnership with Zespri™ Kiwifruit designed to strengthen fresh produce access and education across Brighter Bites' cities nationwide.
Since the partnership began in 2022, Zespri has made a significant multi-year investment — through direct funding as well as the donation of more than 150,000 pieces of kiwifruit — to support Brighter Bites' mission of providing fresh produce and nutrition education to families facing food insecurity.
"Zespri's ongoing partnership and support of Brighter Bites demonstrates more than corporate generosity; it's a strategic investment in the future of the produce industry," said Brighter Bites CEO, Rich Dachman. "By helping children and families discover and enjoy fruits like kiwifruit early in life, they are helping to build the next generation of produce consumers while promoting long-term health and loyalty to fresh foods."
© Brighter Bites
This partnership extends beyond produce and monetary support by engaging families through hands-on educational content and creative recipe development. In addition to past initiatives like kiwi art contests and nutrition education fact sheets, Zespri and Brighter Bites continue to inspire families with easy, wholesome recipes including Easy Blender Kiwi Pancakes, Zespri Sungold Kiwi "Shaved Ice", Zespri Sungold Kiwi Salsa, Zesty Zespri Kiwi Sorbet.
"We are thrilled to be a part of a program that not only provides produce but also engages with its community as this organization does," said Jeanne Wilson of Zespri. "This collaboration has been able to drive both social impact and category growth to ultimately reach the goal of increased consumption of fresh produce for all — and we're proud to contribute with our nutritious and delicious kiwifruit that supports healthy lifestyles."
As the non-profit organization continues to expand its reach, it aims to further collaborate with produce industry partners committed to improving health outcomes and increasing produce consumption nationwide. Since 2012, the organization has grown to serve families and students in food deserts across nine major metropolitan areas and over 75 million pounds of fresh produce. Zespri's partnership has enabled the organization to continue providing for under-resourced communities and expand its programming throughout the country.
For more information:
Brighter Bites
[email protected]
www.brighterbites.org
