DALLAS, Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Frito-Lay and other PepsiCo employees from offices throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex will take part in the seventh annual PepsiCo United Way Day of Caring. In what stands as one of the largest corporate United Way Day of Caring events in North Texas, an estimated 1,300 Frito-Lay and PepsiCo volunteers will contribute approximately 6,000 hours of their time to 19 United Way service providers to help countless North Texans in need.
Volunteers will disperse throughout North Texas, working to paint and repair facilities, sort donations, host a fall festival for senior citizens and construct a playground for preschoolers, among many other activities. All projects align with United Way's key focus areas of education, financial stability and health. Over the past six years, Frito-Lay and PepsiCo associates have contributed an estimated 34,000 volunteer hours to area nonprofits through Day of Caring events.
"The PepsiCo United Way Day of Caring is a great opportunity for our associates to get out and volunteer in the community," said Chris Kuechenmeister, vice president communications, PepsiCo. "The wide range of projects and volunteer opportunities allow our associates to truly make an impact and experience firsthand life-changing connections with the clients who benefit from United Way programs."
Volunteers will support the following local organizations during this year's event:
- Caldwell Elementary School
- ChildCareGroup
- Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County
- Children's Health
- Dallas Furniture Bank
- The Family Place
- Goodwill Industries
- Jewish Family Services
- Mesquite Social Services
- Mi Escuelita Preschool
- Mosaic Family Service
- Nexus Recovery Center
- PediPlace
- Rainbow Days
- REAL School Gardens
- The Salvation Army
- The Senior Source
- Trinity River Mission
- Vogel Alcove
PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay division have a long history of supporting United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. Each fall, Frito-Lay and other DFW-based PepsiCo associates participate in a fundraising campaign to show their commitment to the community and United Way programs. Between these annual campaigns and a grant from The PepsiCo Foundation to support the Healthy Zone School Recognition Program, PepsiCo and its associates have invested more than $10 million in United Way programs over the last three years. Support will help United Way reach its 10-year community goals: preparing at least 60 percent of kids to graduate ready to succeed, moving 250,000 people out of poverty permanently, and improving health across the region.
"We are incredibly grateful for PepsiCo's longstanding and generous support of United Way," said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton United Way of Metropolitan Dallas president and CEO. "By giving their time, resources and collective heart power, employees are changing lives in North Texas forever, offering opportunity and secure futures for all who live and work here."
