PepsiCo Foundation offers USD 50,000 grant to United Way Romania

PepsiCo announces the offering of a series of grants to several communities in the world, on behalf of the company’s philanthropic division, the PepsiCo Foundation, as part of the CSR program “50 for 50 Community Give Back”. In the region, that has 14 countries, the winner of the grant was United Way Romania organization that received USD 50,000.

With this financing the organization will offer for 50 weeks healthy food, nutritional counselling and access to sports activities for 50 children that come from disadvantaged families, in order to support and promote a healthy lifestyle.

According to the Alfred Rusescu study, 2002, quoted by the World Health Organization, almost 30 percent of the children in Romania suffer of malnutrition. Moreover, 9 out of 19 children don’t practice any type of sport besides the physic education in school, due to the fact that many parents don’t afford to support those extracurricular activities. Due to the lack of information about nutrition and sport, half of the parents aren’t up to date with their children’s health problems.

Therefore, with the help of this grant, United Way Romania is able to implement an education and information problems for the children and their parents about the importance of a balanced diet and practicing sports every day. Moreover, children are encouraged to practice sports that are strengthening their physical condition and health state and through which they can raise their motivation pf continuing their education and reach their potential.

The program is developed in partnership with the Rut School from Bucharest.

„The PepsiCo Foundation has a long tradition in supporting CSR programs in every community in which the company activates. (…) We are happy that through the program ‘50 for 50 Community Give Back’ we can contribute to the community’s development in Romania, here where we live and work,” said Gabriel Cosoreanu, senior communications manager and PPGA Balkans.

„The initiative is part of the pilot-program ‘Health for the future’ through which United Way Romania intends to develop prevention and health education programs for children and their parents,” added Cristina Damian, executive director of United Way Romania.