As one of the world’s largest food companies, the Kraft Heinz Company takes seriously its role in feeding consumers and their families. As the world continue to address the very real implications of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Kraft Heinz – which is co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh – has committed to donating $12 million globally to ensure people across the globe have the food they need during this challenging time. As part of this international commitment, the company has announced a donation valued at $6.6 million to help ensure American consumers in need have the food they need during this challenging time. Kraft Heinz also is working on other commitments with current community and food bank partners in other countries where it does business, including Italy, Spain, Australia and the Netherlands.

The company is giving $1.9 million in cash to Feeding America, the largest domestic hunger relief organization in the United States, to help support food banks located in and near places where the company has offices and plants, such as the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund will help food banks across the country as they support communities impacted by the pandemic, enabling them to secure the resources they need to efficiently serve some of the most vulnerable people.

Kraft Heinz also is donating $4.7 million in products, including Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Heinz Gravy, Planters Nut Mixes, DEVOUR frozen meals, and a number of other items, which will be provided to Feeding America member food banks.

This $12 million contribution builds upon previous Coronavirus-related donations Kraft Heinz has made in China, one of the countries most impacted by the pandemic and where the company has both factories and offices. During China’s outbreak earlier this year, the company partnered with Babytree, one of the largest parenting websites in China, to donate more than 4,000 boxes of Heinz infant food to families in need through the Shanghai Fosun Foundation. The company’s products were delivered to 25 hospitals in five Chinese provinces most severely affected by the outbreak.

In the UK, Heinz is partnering with Magic Breakfast, a charity that provides healthy school breakfasts to hungry and malnourished children in disadvantaged areas of the UK, to secure 12 million free breakfasts for school children who need them the most. The partnership equates to one breakfast a day, five days a week over eight weeks, for school children in the UK who would usually benefit from access to breakfast club programs that have recently been cancelled as a result of schools closing.

In Canada, the company will be making a series of donations to Food Banks Canada, which serves 650 food banks, in the coming weeks, starting with more than 100,000 boxes of KD/Kraft Dinner, the country’s most popular macaroni and cheese brand.

“We at Kraft Heinz have an enormously important role to play in making sure people have the food and nourishment they need – and that’s especially critical at this challenging moment,” said Kraft Heinz CEO Miguel Patricio. “This donation is an immediate and impactful way we can help our neighbors in need around the world and help fill this critical gap. We are very pleased to make these donations on behalf of our worldwide employees, who are working especially hard during this time to provide consumers and their families with products they know and trust. We are all in this together and are reminded that we’re only as strong as our most vulnerable.”

“We are grateful for this extremely generous donation from Kraft Heinz, and for the company’s pledge to donate much-needed products to food banks across the country,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “Generosity from companies like Kraft Heinz make it possible for the Feeding America network to help provide food and other essentials to communities impacted by this pandemic.”

Because many Kraft Heinz employees have inquired about personally assisting these efforts, the company is working to facilitate opportunities for those who choose to safely volunteer in their local communities where appropriate – and to donate directly to Feeding America. At the same time, the company has launched an internal campaign, #WeGotYouAmerica, celebrating its U.S. plant employees as they significantly ramp up food production efforts to meet consumers’ growing needs. Using this hashtag, Kraft Heinz employees are posting and sharing on internal and external social media channels, reflecting their pride in doing their part to ensuring the company’s products reach consumers’ homes and tables.

ABOUT THE KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY
For 150 years, we have produced some of the world’s most beloved products at The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Our Vision is To Be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World. We are one of the largest global food and beverage companies, with 2019 net sales of approximately $25 billion. Our portfolio is a diverse mix of iconic and emerging brands. As the guardians of these brands and the creators of innovative new products, we are dedicated to the sustainable health of our people and our planet. 

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