ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This election season, a record 54 million people living in America face food insecurity*. Today, Knorr, in partnership with Dascha Polanco - an actress who has formerly experienced food insecurity and was a recipient of SNAP benefits - is launching #FeedTheVote. This partnership will work to drive voter registration across the US to ensure people experiencing food insecurity can make their voices heard where it matters most - at the ballot box. Through social media and on-site locations throughout the country, Knorr will provide education, resources, and access to nutritious food to encourage voter registration and advocacy for millions of Americans experiencing food insecurity.
Since 1979 Knorr has worked closely with Feeding America, The Food Trust, and other partners to provide families with consistent access to nutritious food. The brand is now advocating for wider systemic change with Dascha Polanco to elevate the connection between hunger, food assistance and voting this election season.
“Quite simply, no one should go hungry. At Knorr, we believe everyone should have access to affordable and nutritious food. As we strive to make that belief a reality through our products and recipes, we know that food access is a government funding issue - and thus, a voting issue,” said Bentley King, Director, Savory North America at Unilever. “Working hand in hand with experts in this space like Feeding America, UnidosUS and our partner Dascha, we’re committed to encouraging everyone to register to vote and enabling Americans to impact policy that help their family eat healthier.”
Today, Dascha Polanco and a team of #FeedTheVote ambassadors will share empty plates to symbolize the millions of Americans who will not have food on the table unless elected officials make hunger and food access a priority this November. Posts will link to Knorr’s #FeedTheVote website where followers can register to vote and learn more about how they can advocate for access to nutritious food.
“As someone who knows what it feels like to not know where your next meal is coming from, I was inspired to do everything in my power to draw attention to the difference we can make by voting,” said Dascha Polanco. “I’m excited to partner with Knorr to educate Americans about the power of their vote and the steps they can take to become part of the solution in ending food insecurity.”
#FeedTheVote has also collaborated with UnidosUS to provide 4,000 families with resources to create nutritious meals at home. As the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, UnidosUS has been at the forefront of alleviating food insecurity and has actively registered and educated new voters. At select UnidosUS partner affiliate sites people can register to vote, locations include:
- AAMA (The Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans): 6001 Gulf Freeway, Houston, TX 77023
- Chicano Federation: 3180 University Avenue, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92104
- Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization (CLLARO) : 12000 East 47th Avenue, Denver, CO 80217
- El Concilio: 445 N San Joaquin Street, Stockton, CA 95202
- HOLA Ohio: PO Box 3066, Ashtabula, OH 44005
- Mexican American Council: 151 NW 11th Street, Suite E400, Homestead, FL 33030
- Project Vida Health Center: 3607 Rivera, El Paso, TX 79905
- Promise Arizona: 6437 South Central, Phoenix, AZ 85042
- Tejano Center for Community Concerns: 2950 Broadway Street, Houston, TX 77017
Visit Knorr.com/vote to find out how you can help #FeedTheVote and make sure access to nutritious food is an issue this election season.
*Feeding America. 2020. The Impact of Coronavirus on Food Insecurity. Retrieved from https://www.feedingamerica.org/research/coronavirus-hunger-research.
About Knorr
Knorr believes that wholesome, nutritious food should be accessible and affordable to all. That’s not a reality for everyone in today’s America. That’s why we’re on a journey to ensure all Americans can create healthy meals they feel good about. Whether it’s creating high-quality products, offering simple chef-developed recipes, or supporting organizations and initiatives that provide access to healthy foods, Knorr remains committed to its long history of making good food available to everyone. The business was formed in 1838, when founder Carl Heinrich Knorr pioneered experiments in drying seasonings and vegetables to preserve their flavor and nutritional value. Since then, Knorr® has become an international brand offering a wide range of bouillons, soups, seasonings, sauces, soupy snacks, dressings, and frozen and ready-made meals.
About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington's, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.
Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) underpins the company's strategy and commits to:
- Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
- Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
- Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.
The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. In 2018, the company's Sustainable Living Brands grew 69% faster than the rest of the business, compared to 46% in 2017.
Since 2010 we have been taking action through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being, halve our environmental footprint and enhance the livelihoods of millions of people as we grow our business. We have already made significant progress and continue to expand our ambition – most recently committing to ensure 100% of our plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognized in 2018 as sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and as the top ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders survey, for the eighth-consecutive year.
For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com
For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/
