Campbell Announces Plans to Invest in the Health and Well-Being of the Children of Metro Detroit

CAMDEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Campbell Soup Company CPB today announced plans to improve the health of young people in Metro Detroit by helping to reduce childhood hunger and obesity through the launch of Campbell's Healthy Communities Metro Detroit. The program will be modeled after the company's efforts in Camden, New Jersey, the site of Campbell's World Headquarters where Campbell's Healthy Communities was launched in 2011.

Campbell will partner with organizations in the Detroit area in order to create and expand upon programs aimed at:

1. Providing increased access to affordable, healthy food;
2. Increasing nutrition and health education; and
3. Engaging the public as a partner in creating and sustaining a healthy community.

Campbell's Healthy Communities model uses data to understand community needs and resources and works across areas such as academia, government and the private sector to identify three types of sites for programs: schools, a food access system and a healthcare partner. Campbell identifies partners with expertise in areas such as cooking, nutrition education and food access, and provides resources for those organizations to create programming. This model will serve as the framework for Campbell's Healthy Communities Metro Detroit.

"Campbell's Healthy Communities is another step toward unleashing the power of our Purpose, Real food that matters for life's moments," said Campbell's President and Chief Executive Officer Denise Morrison. "We're excited to bring this program to the hometown of our Garden Fresh Gourmet business. We want to give back to the communities where we live and work in ways that can make a difference. Campbell's Healthy Communities leverages our expertise in food and nutrition to help children live healthier lives. This program creates shared value by investing, engaging and helping address complex social issues through public and private partnership and collaboration."

Campbell acquired Ferndale, Michigan-based Garden Fresh Gourmet in 2015.

Campbell's Healthy Communities Metro Detroit will begin by working with one school in each of Oakland and Wayne Counties: Roosevelt Primary School, a K-2 school in Ferndale, and Neinas Dual Language Learning Academy, a K-6 school in Detroit. The program will fund school gardens, mobile food pantries, nutrition education and cooking classes. Campbell will also work closely with Detroit Public Schools to support their existing nutrition programs and will partner with other community organizations.

In addition to providing dedicated Campbell resources and expertise on the ground, Campbell is committed to investing $125,000 to Campbell's Healthy Communities Metro Detroit in its first year. Campbell is in the process of identifying prospective partner organizations both nationally and in Detroit that will receive funding. The program will be finalized in advance of the 2016-2017 school year.

"Our program provides a framework for how the private sector can drive collaboration with partners from health and education to government and nonprofit organizations," said Kim Fortunato, Director of Campbell's Healthy Communities. "We're looking forward to partnering with the many strong organizations throughout Metro Detroit currently involved in the food economy to help increase access to healthy foods for all Metro Detroit residents."

The Metro Detroit program will be led by Melanie Mena, daughter of Jack and Annette Aronson, the founders of Garden Fresh Gourmet. Mena will serve as the newly appointed Director of Community Engagement for Campbell Fresh.

Since its launch in Camden, Campbell's Healthy Communities has helped 45 stores that serve more than 20,000 city residents increase healthy food options, and in the past year the program increased children's physical activity by 75 percent and provided nearly 200,000 hours of nutrition education. The program has since expanded to other communities where Campbell operates including Henry County, Ohio; Everett, Washington; and Norwalk, Connecticut.

About Campbell Soup Company

Campbell CPB is driven and inspired by our Purpose, "Real food that matters for life's moments." We make a range of high-quality soups and simple meals, beverages, snacks and packaged fresh foods. For generations, people have trusted Campbell to provide authentic, flavorful and readily available foods and beverages that connect them to each other, to warm memories and to what's important today. Led by our iconic Campbell's brand, our portfolio includes Pepperidge Farm, Bolthouse Farms, Arnott's, V8, Swanson, Pace, Prego, Plum, Royal Dansk, Kjeldsens and Garden Fresh Gourmet. Founded in 1869, Campbell has a heritage of giving back and acting as a good steward of the planet's natural resources. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. For more information, visit www.campbellsoupcompany.com or follow company news on Twitter via @CampbellSoupCo. To learn more about how we make our food and the choices behind the ingredients we use, visit www.whatsinmyfood.com.

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