To celebrate National Nutrition Month, Danone U.S. talked with several of our nonprofit partners to highlight how they’re expanding access to nourishing food and nutrition education in their communities. These conversations showcase the programs, insights, and on‑the‑ground impact made possible through our shared commitment to bringing health through food to as many people as possible.
Danone U.S.: Can you describe your organization’s mission and how it aligns with our mission of bringing health through food to as many people as possible?
Rebecca Snyder, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Feeding Westchester: Feeding Westchester’s mission is to nourish our neighbors in the fight against hunger, which closely aligns with Danone’s mission.
Through Danone’s longstanding support, we provide nutritious food to the 39% of Westchester residents at risk of hunger while serving more than 235,000 neighbor visits each year across our network of 175 food pantries and community partners.
Danone U.S.: How does Danone’s support help advance your programs or maximize your impact?
Snyder: Danone’s support of our nutrition education initiatives helps go beyond food distribution by equipping families with the knowledge and skills to make healthier choices. By pairing access to nutritious foods with practical, hands-on education, we help empower our neighbors to build healthy habits for themselves and their families.
Danone U.S.: How do the nutrition education programs supported by Danone help advance community nutrition and improve access to healthy food?
Snyder: Thanks to Danone, Feeding Westchester purchased a professional cooking cart, which has significantly expanded our nutrition education programming in the community. This tool allows our team to deliver engaging nutrition workshops, helping us reach a broader audience, including individuals who may be homebound or face transportation barriers.
By combining education with food access, these programs empower our neighbors to make healthier choices.
Danone U.S.: Danone is headquartered right here in Westchester — how does having a local corporate partner influence the way we collaborate?
Snyder: Having Danone headquartered here in Westchester makes the partnership especially meaningful, as the impact is felt directly within the local community. With a partnership spanning more than two decades, Danone has contributed time and time again to neighbors facing hunger, demonstrating a deep and sustained commitment to the well-being of the region.
Danone U.S.: Can you describe your organization’s mission and how it aligns with our mission of bringing health through food to as many people as possible?
Kristina Thomas, Director of Marketing & Communications, Community Food Share: Community Food Share’s mission is to provide access to nourishing food, support health, cultivate hope, and fuel resilience. We believe food is tied to health, stress levels, and stability. Danone’s mission resonates strongly with ours. Together, we’re helping more neighbors access nutritious food that supports wellbeing and resilience over time across Boulder and Broomfield Counties.
Danone U.S.: How does Danone’s support help advance your impact?
Thomas: Danone’s support helps us keep key programs strong, consistent, and responsive as need remains high. It expands our ability to get nourishing food to neighbors quickly and reliably, including families, older adults, and individuals navigating tough tradeoffs.
Danone U.S.: Danone is headquartered right here in Louisville — how does having a local corporate partner influence the way we collaborate?
Thomas: Having Danone in Louisville makes us more connected. We’re in the same community and seeing the same challenges -- that local proximity builds trust and makes it easier to problem-solve together. It also creates more opportunities for engagement, from program support to employee involvement, in ways that are tangible and community-rooted.
Danone U.S.: Can you walk us through the Retail to the Rescue Program and the Blue Spruce Neighbors initiative that Danone supports?
Thomas: Through our food rescue program, we partner with retailers and manufacturers to sustainably rescue nutritious food and redirect it to neighbors instead of landfills. Danone’s support helps ensure more high-quality, nutritious products move through our system and into the hands of people who need them.
Blue Spruce Neighbors serves older adults who may be dealing with fixed incomes, limited mobility, and higher health risks. The program provides regular access to nourishing groceries delivered to their doors, which supports dignity and independence. Together, these programs help improve access to healthy food and make it easier for people to keep nutritious choices on the table.
Danone U.S.: Can you describe your organization’s mission and how it aligns with our mission of bringing health through food to as many people as possible?
Morgan McGhee, Director of School Nutrition Leadership, FoodCorps: FoodCorps is a national nonprofit advancing child well-being through food in school. Schools are key places for kids to access nutritious food—more than 30 million children in the U.S. count on schools as a source of food each day. Danone’s mission is very aligned with our goal to ensure every child has access to food education and quality food in school.
Danone U.S.: How does Danone’s support help advance your programs or maximize your impact?
McGhee: Danone’s partnership strengthens our work in meaningful ways. Their support helps us bring hands on food education into classrooms, share family friendly recipes to make nutritious foods more accessible, and support school nutrition operators’ efforts to increase nourishing and student-driven menu items in cafeterias. Danone’s collaboration helps us expand our reach, deepen engagement, and inspire more families to join us in supporting kids’ health.
Danone U.S.: What are you most excited about as we continue working together in the future?
McGhee: We’re excited for what’s ahead together. With Danone’s ongoing support, we can continue expanding the reach of our work — from partnering with schools through food education classroom activities to supporting school food operators who are leading transformational change in their communities to sharing simple, kid‑friendly recipes that engage families and bring visibility to the importance of nourishing school meals.
Thanks to the generous support of our corporate partners like Danone, we’re able to bring these important programs to life.
Danone U.S.: This year marks the launch of the first-ever Kindred Fellowship program. Can you tell us more about it and what you hope each fellow takes away from it?
McGhee: The Kindred Fellowship is an evolution of FoodCorps’ work to bring together rising stars in school nutrition. We launched our inaugural fellow cohort earlier this year with 29 amazing leaders who will go on a seven-month journey to learn, share, and grow together. I hope each fellow walks away with new skills, a powerful peer network, a road map for leading the change they want to see in their school community, and a renewed sense of their purpose and power.
