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Joy in Childhood Foundation to support Starlight Children’s Foundation and Feeding America® with $3 million commitment

Funding Reinforces the Joy in Childhood Foundation’s Commitment to Providing Joy to Sick and Hungry Kids

CANTON, Mass., 2017-Mar-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — The newly-launched Joy in Childhood Foundation today (March 30, 2017) announced a three-year, $3 million commitment to two national charities – Starlight Children’s Foundation and Feeding America®. Both grants will focus on supporting programs that align with the Joy in Childhood Foundation’s mission to help provide the simple joys of childhood to sick and hungry kids.

“We’re proud to provide funding to both Feeding America and Starlight Children’s Foundation – two organizations that share our commitment to address some of the biggest challenges kids face today – hunger and health,” said Karen Raskopf, Co-Chair, Joy in Childhood Foundation. “Joy is a true need, particularly for children facing undue stress and a disrupted sense of normalcy. Through these grants, we will support innovative programs that will make a measureable impact on the lives of children who are living with hunger and health issues and provide them with more opportunities to experience moments of joy, even on their most difficult days.”

The Joy in Childhood Foundation’s $1.5 million grant to Starlight Children’s Foundation will support the building and development of Starlight Sites in select children’s hospitals nationwide. Starlight Sites remove the intimidation of a sterile hospital treatment room – where many seriously ill children undergo procedures – by transforming them into brighter and happier spaces to support the healing of pediatric patients and inspire kids to have fun. The funds will also support the charity’s Starlight Brave Gowns program which provides kids in hospitals with high-quality, comfortable and brightly-colored gowns to wear while undergoing treatment.

“The Joy in Childhood Foundation is bringing joy and comfort to hospitalized kids and their families,” said Chris Helfrich, CEO, Starlight Children’s Foundation. “By generously supporting Starlight Sites and Starlight Brave Gowns, the Joy in Childhood Foundation is providing a fun, positive experience that’s helping sick kids simply enjoy being kids.”

The Joy in Childhood Foundation had a longstanding partnership with Feeding America when it was formerly known as The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation. In the 2015-2016 school year alone, the Foundation funded 15 grants and provided more than 437,000 meals through grants made to Feeding America and its network of member food banks.

Through its continued work with Feeding America, the Joy in Childhood Foundation will award funds to food banks across the country over the next three years to help feed children in local communities who are facing hunger through critical Feeding America initiatives, including programs like the Backpack Program, which provides hungry children with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations when other resources are not available. Funding will also support the expansion of child hunger initiatives such as the Kids Cafe program which provides free meals and snacks to low-income children after school through a variety of community locations where children gather during the after school hours.

“We’re proud to mark the 10th anniversary of our partnership with a renewed commitment through the Joy in Childhood Foundation that will address the issue of childhood hunger which deprives kids of not only food but also energy to focus, engage, learn and grow,” said Nancy Curby, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Operations, Feeding America. “More than 13 million children nationwide face hunger. The grants that the Joy in Childhood Foundation is awarding to local food banks will help ensure that children in our communities have access to programs that help keep them healthy so that they can reach their full potential.”

Through funding and partnerships with children’s hospitals, food banks, and nonprofit organizations directly committed to serving sick and hungry kids, the Joy in Childhood Foundation helps children have the support and essential services to find joy in their daily lives. Through the generosity of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisees, employees, vendors and guests, the Joy in Childhood Foundation raises funds to support partnerships with children’s hospitals, food banks, and nonprofit organizations directly committed to serving sick and hungry kids. To date, the Joy in Childhood Foundation has donated more than $12 million to hundreds of national and local charities.

To learn more about the Joy in Childhood Foundation, visit http://www.dunkinbrands.com/foundation.

About the Joy in Childhood Foundation 
The Joy in Childhood Foundation provides the simple joys of childhood to sick and hungry kids. The Foundation brings together a wide range of stakeholders — including franchisees, crew members, employees, partners and guests — and partners with food banks, children’s hospitals, and nonprofit organizations directly committed to serving sick and hungry kids to fund joyful environments, joyful experiences and joyful expressions to ensure that children whose lives are compromised by hunger or sickness have the support and essential services to find joy in their daily lives. Since launching in 2006, the Joy in Childhood Foundation (formerly The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation), has granted more than $12 million to hundreds of national and local charities across the country.

About Starlight Children’s Foundation
Starlight creates moments of comfort and joy for hospitalized kids and their families. For 35 years, Starlight’s programs have positively impacted more than 60 million critically, chronically and terminally ill or injured children in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. With your help, more kids and their families will enjoy Starlight Brave Gowns, Starlight Fun Centers and other Starlight programs at a children’s hospital or facility near you. Support Starlight’s work by visiting www.starlight.org and by following Starlight on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Feeding America
Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Name: Lindsay Cronin
Phone: 781-737-5200
Email:press@dunkinbrands.com

Source: Dunkin’ Donuts

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