Collaboration with Community-Based
Organizations Expand Workforce Resources and Drive Economic
Mobility
CHICAGO, Feb. 21,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on its more than
100-year history in Chicago, local
employer PepsiCo is entering the third year of its $5 million Pathways to Readiness and Empowerment
Program (PREP), which aims to advance career opportunities for at
least 3,000 youth from the South and West Sides. Since launching
PREP in 2021, PepsiCo has invested in grassroots organizations that
provide career resources to more than 2,200 youth and young adults
through career exposure, paid internships, credentialing and
full-time employment. Based on the efficacy of community-based
programming and the outsized impact of PepsiCo's recent grants to
local nonprofits, the company recommits to helping support the
great potential of youth on the South and West Sides, awarding
$250,000 to Imagine Englewood if,
Girls in the Game, Chicago Cares, Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Metropolitan Chicago, Field Museum, Ladies of Virtue and Southwest
Organizing Project.
Ladies of Virtue (LOV) is a powerful organization empowering
girls in Chicago's underserved
areas through effective mentoring and leadership programs –
reaching 500 girls in 2023 alone with high school seniors involved
achieving a 100% college acceptance rate. PepsiCo's engagement with
LOV is multidimensional, including funding to LOV distributed as
stipends to high school students in STEM-focused internships at the
Field Museum and a co-designed career exploration experience with
PepsiCo that included a pitch contest in which students proposed
new product ideas to a panel of leaders at the company's downtown
headquarters.
"Financial support for local organizations on the South and West
Sides has decreased, while community needs persist," said
Jamila Trimuel, the founder of
Ladies of Virtue. "Our dedication is unwavering, but additional
support is crucial. Partners like PepsiCo are game changers and
their value goes beyond dollars. We count on partners to tackle
challenges together and sustain their commitment in order to create
lasting wins for our youth."
Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP)--a broad-based organization
of 43 member institutions--pioneered a workforce program that
opens doors to high-quality career opportunities, reaching 200
community members with employment, career training, interview and
resume support, and youth internships in 2023 with PepsiCo seed
funding. SWOP anticipates enrolling approximately 100 neighbors
into the career program annually which they estimate will result in
$4 million each year in income gained
through direct employment being invested back into the community
and improving the quality of life for Southwest Chicago residents.
"Working day in and day out with our community partners, I see
firsthand the positive impact these groups have in people's lives,"
said Brittany N. Wilson, PepsiCo Chicago Community Relations
Manager. "These organizations are rooted exactly where their work
happens, which means they intrinsically understand local needs and
are best suited to unlock tremendous potential in Chicago's vibrant South and West Side
communities. That's why PepsiCo remains unwavering in our
commitment to support these hyperlocal community networks that
empower and uplift young people every day. With their partnership,
this year we're proud to scale our paid community-based internship
program, launch even more career exposure programs, and hire more
community members as part of our Chicagoland PepsiCo team."
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion
times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the
world. PepsiCo generated more than $91
billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a complementary
beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes
Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew,
Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide
range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic
brands that generate more than $1
billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo
Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that
puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will
create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries
and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more
information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter),
Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
Jessica Ortiz
Rise Strategy Group
C: (312) 550-0102
E: jessica@risestrategygroup.com
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SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc.