Global kiwi producer and distributor Zespri Kiwifruit announced it has extended its partnership with non-profit Brighter Bites for the 2023-2024 school year.

This partnership will have an impact on all 11 programming cities this year. 

Additionally, to build on the partnership this summer, Zespri Kiwifruit employed a marketing campaign at Gelson’s stores in Los Angeles and, through their Making Change donation program at checkout, both companies contributed one dollar to Brighter Bites for every kiwi pack sold.  

“We're cooking up some creative ways to make kiwifruit a staple in households. It's not just about the fruit; it's about creating real, lasting change in the way people eat, and we're thrilled to be part of that journey,” says Jeanne Wilson, head of marketing, North American Market for Zespri Kiwifruit.

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Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided over 60 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than one million people in Austin, Bakersfield, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Salinas, San Antonio, Southwest Florida, and the Washington, D.C. area.

“We’ve had the pleasure of working with their team for the past year and they have been instrumental in providing a more nutritious variety to our program,” adds Brighter Bites Director of Development Melissa McDonald.

The kiwifruit giant also made a monetary donation and committed to volunteer days to support Brighter Bites in its mission to create communities of health.