PLANO, Texas, Aug. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Feed The Children, PepsiCo, Vanguard Community Development Corporation, Walmart, Sam's Club and Associated Foods are bringing five semi tractor-trailers full of food and essentials to help 2,000 Detroit families in need. The food and essentials will be distributed to families at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit.

More than one in two children living in Detroit (53.6 percent) is considered impoverished. In fact, the number of children living in poverty in Michigan (538,649) could fill Ford Field more than seven times.

PepsiCo is a longtime partner with Feed The Children and this is the third year they have come together to give back to the Detroit community. PepsiCo, Walmart, Sam's Club, and Associated Foods are providing products such as Frito-Lay snacks, Quaker oatmeal and Quaker granola bars, Tropicana orange juice and fresh produce.   In addition to the products provided by PepsiCo, Walmart, Sam's Club and Associated Foods, each family will receive a 25-pound box of food and a box of personal care items. The boxes are designed to help a family of four for up to one week. 

The thousands of boxes and bags filled with foods and essentials are being distributed to the families by more than 300 volunteers from PepsiCo, Walmart, Sam's Club and Associated Foods. The distribution is part of Feed The Children's Americans Feeding Americans Caravan, which has helped more than 395,000 families across the country since it began in 2009.

Feed The Children partner agency Vanguard Community Development Corporation has pre-identified families receiving the boxes. 

"We sincerely appreciate PepsiCo for making this distribution possible to support Detroit families adversely affected by the economy," said Tony Sellars, spokesperson for Feed The Children. "With their help along with Vanguard Community Development Corporation, Walmart, Sam's Club and Associated Foods this distribution will provide relief for them at a crucial time."

Feed The Children
Since 1979, Feed The Children has consistently ranked as one of the largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, non-government support. Our mission is providing hope and resources for those without life's essentials. In FY 2011, Feed The Children distributed more than 104 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and their families in all 50 states and internationally. For more information, visit www.feedthechildren.org   

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America