PFK, Grocers Raise Money for Classroom Projects

Produce for Kids (PFK) joined forces last fall with Ahold USA’s Giant-Carlisle and Martin’s Food Stores, Giant-Landover, and Stop & Shop divisions; Meijer Stores; Publix Super Markets; and more than 15 fruit and vegetable suppliers for the “Healthy Schools, Healthy Minds” campaign, which raised more than $169,000 to benefit area health-and-wellness classroom projects through DonorsChoose.org.

From September through October 2012, the participating fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers contributed to the New York-based online charity, which aims to make it easy for people to help needy students. The more items shoppers added to their lists, the more local classrooms benefited.

“Our inaugural campaign with DonorsChoose.org has proved quite successful,” said John Shuman, president of Orlando, Fla.-based PFK, which was created in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc. to encourage healthy eating among families while raising funds for local children’s nonprofit organizations. “[We] are bringing health and nutrition awareness to more than 140 classrooms in our retail partners’ markets across the U.S.”

Matched by public donations made to the site over the coming months, funds raised during the campaign are sponsoring health-and-wellness projects in classrooms within participating grocers’ markets. PFK plans to promote these projects extensively via multiple social media platforms and on its website to encourage match donations from the public.