Bayer and Dollar General are joining forces to offer fresh fruit and vegetables at a reduced price in celebration of National School Lunch Week.
Students receive a coupon for 50% off one fresh produce item, redeemable for fruits and vegetables sold at local Dollar General stores. According to a release, Dollar General offers fresh produce in 4,400 stores nationwide, and approximately 75% of the U.S. population is located within five miles of a Dollar General.
DG has plans to offer fresh produce at more than 10,000 stores over the next several years, with a “meaningful number of them” located in areas defined by USDA as food deserts.
Emily Taylor, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Dollar General, said in a release, “Through our unique store footprint DG is able to make a difference in helping address hunger in our hometown communities.”
School districts and organizations receiving the produce coupons are in Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Bayer and Dollar General are offering families 50% off any one fresh produce item priced at $5 or less and $2 off any Bayer Flintstones Vitamins through November 30.
Inci Dannenberg, Bayer Vegetable Seeds president, said in a statement that the company can’t achieve its mission of “Health for All, Hunger for None” alone. “Partnerships like this are critical to breaking down barriers and helping families, beyond the school, access nutritious choices for their kids,” Dannenberg said.
The International Fresh Produce Association helped facilitate the connections to the schools to distribute the 100,000 coupons.
“We are pleased to be part of this creative collaboration,” said Andrew Marshall, IFPA wholesaler/distributor relations and external partnerships. “Together, we’re supporting a new opportunity to make fresh produce more readily available in communities, while also highlighting the important role that schools and school nutrition professionals can play to reach children and families with fresh produce.”
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As part of the week’s recognition as National School Lunch Week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited a Virginia school Wednesday where he announced $60 million for two grant opportunities for training and technical assistance for school nutritionists to provide healthy meals for school children.
In President Joe Biden’s proclamation declaring Oct. 8 through Oct. 14 as National School Lunch Week, he said, “school lunches are especially important for lower-income children, children of color and children living in rural areas or territories, since they are less likely to have access to food outlets that sell healthier foods.”
Bayer’s Dannenberg added, “When we think about children’s nutrition, we recognize that schools and those involved in the daily preparation and delivery of nutritious and delicious meals are the true stars in helping to reduce childhood hunger.”
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