Prudential Financial Support Ensures Much-Needed Equipment to Help Maintain Fresh Meal Services and Proper Nutrition for Local Youth

Thanks in large part to support from Prudential Financial, thousands of students throughout the Greater Newark community will complete their school day with a healthy supper. At Revolution Foods, we provide kid-inspired, chef-crafted meals for Newark Public Schools (NPS) afterschool programs. Prudential’s grant support of $140,000 will enable NPS to purchase much-needed equipment to support the afterschool supper meal program across the district. As a result, refrigerators and milk coolers will be installed at 38 afterschool programs serving more than 2,200 suppers daily from Revolution Foods—over 400,000 fresh, nutritious meals per year—to at-risk students in grades K-12 throughout Newark.

“The problem of food insecurity among school children is very real, and this important initiative will provide Newark students, who are struggling with hunger, critical access to healthy food,” comments Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. “Now, thanks to Prudential Financial and in partnership with Revolution Foods, Newark Public Schools are able to serve fresh, tasty and healthy foods to more students, so that every student is not only well-nourished but offered the best possible opportunity to achieve their academic potential.”

The equipment, funded by this grant, will help NPS implement a more robust supper menu designed and produced by Revolution Foods, including a diverse culinary array of clean-label, fresh options available daily, with each supper incorporating a healthy carbohydrate, lean protein, fresh fruit, vegetables and milk.

We’re Committed to Transforming Citywide Wellness

Revolution Foods co-founder and chief impact officer Kirsten Saenz Tobey comments, “We’re committed to transforming citywide wellness, so it’s exciting to see community-based partnerships like this help make healthy food more accessible after school, especially for at-risk students who may not be able to eat dinner at home. Having these essential tools more readily available will enable us to deliver on our mission of fresh, thoughtfully crafted, well-balanced meals that exceed federal nutrition guidelines to ensure the highest level of nutrition.”

Revolution Foods has sourced, designed, produced and delivered meals for the afterschool supper program of NPS since 2015. Over the years, the program has grown and now is offered at 68 locations, including school sites, community centers, church groups and other local sites as sponsored by the district. As part of the program, students within the Greater Newark community can receive a free supper meal at any one of these 68 locations—regardless of their enrollment status with NPS. Until now, lack of refrigeration limited the scope of meals served and created obstacles to ensuring reliable fresh food were served daily to NPS students.

About Revolution Foods

Revolution Foods serves early childhood education centers, districts, charter schools, and community and afterschool youth programs in over 400 cities and towns across fifteen states throughout the U.S, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Austin, Newark, New York City, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

Want Revolution Foods meals in your school?

If you’re a parent and would like to see Revolution Foods meals in your schools, reach out to your school administrators and introduce Revolution Foods as a key partner for delivering nutritious meals that taste delicious.

If you’re a school administrator, contact us for more information. We’re ready to partner with schools and community programs, big or small!