by Randy Boggs
I wanted to share a few thoughts this week about the PepsiCo volunteers that take time out of their days to get involved with the Food for Good Mobile feeding routes. I had the fortunate pleasure to travel around with several members of the PepsiCo Business + Innovation Solutions (BIS) team on a mobile feeding route one day this week, and I will say it was an uplifting experience on many fronts. It’s great to see the impact the Food for Good 
initiative has through a fresh sets of eyes. There were 5 total volunteers on our route from the BIS team, and only two of us had joined the experience before. “It brings things home, and tends put things into perspective in your own life,” stated Robin Turner of the Governance team. (This was Robin’s second time to be out on a Food for Good route.) With temperatures hitting 102 degrees on the day we were out, it was amazing to see all of children that showed up for the free lunch and breakfast we were providing to them. It just goes to show you how important it is that we [Food for Good] are at the stops each day. Dee Darst, manager BIS Governance, said, “It’s important not only for the meals, but also for the friendship and fun we had with the kids.” Darst went on to tell the story of a little girl she saw that day named Stephanie, no more than 6 years old, who was holding the hand of her little 2 year old sister making sure she got her lunch as well. “The strength in the hand of this little girl helping her sister, just really grabbed me,” said Darst. “I even jumped rope with one of the kids, and I haven’t jumped rope in 20 years.”
Lisa Amoroso (Director One Up Readiness and Training) and Michael Morgan (Governance Analyst) were also PepsiCo volunteers on the Food for Good route with us. Amoroso 
commented on how much we are making a difference in the lives of the children. “The attention we gave them meant a lot as evidenced by their comments and smiles.” Amoroso also spoke about the teamwork we all shared as volunteers saying, “I saw a strong team helping each other in every way and having fun.” Morgan spoke about sitting his family down at the end of the day and explaining to them how rewarding the experience was. He said, “It really changes the way we look at our everyday life, and I wanted to share with my family all of the emotions of the day, to look at how a little help and kindness can make a significant impact on others.”
Over the summer of 2010 the Food for Good Mobile feeding program has delivered over 200,000 breakfasts and lunches to underserved children in the Dallas area alone. Not much has compared to the return I have personally received on the Food for Good journey, and there’s still a long way to go. It’s great to see the joy and emotion from each PepsiCo volunteer that spends just a little time on the mobile feeding routes. I encourage you to find a new friend and share a little kindness. I can promise it will go a long way.
