MONTEREY, CA - Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, held its second annual Monterey Holiday Event on December 11 for a larger conversation on creating communities of health through fresh food.

This event highlighted the importance and need of local and national collaboration to help Brighter Bites reach success in changing behavior among children and families through their model of fresh produce and nutrition education.

The event welcomed 100 guests and community leaders who attended the event, including Vic Smith of JV Smith and Companies, Steve Church of Church Brothers, Bruce Taylor of Taylor Farms, Jim Loewer of Wonderful Citrus, and Soren Bjorn of Driscoll’s, a press release stated.

“Having recently confirmed our three-year commitment to Brighter Bites in Monterey County and Watsonville, we were thrilled to celebrate the incredible impact of this organization at their Holiday Event in Salinas,” said Soren Bjorn, CEO at Driscoll’s. “This partnership helps serve over 5,000 children and their families, ensuring access to fresh, nutritious food and empowering communities to embrace healthier lifestyles.”

The following local and industry partners sponsored the event and joined the conversation on food insecurity across the country: Taylor Farms, Vic & Karen Smith, Braga Fresh, Tonya Antle, Driscoll's, David and Susan Gill, Honest Engine Films, Hawk Tower, Judie Profeta of the Carmel Realty Company, River Fresh Farms, Monterey Bay Union F.C., Drew-Massa Transportation, and The Don & Barbara Chapin Foundation.

“We are deeply grateful to the produce industry for its unwavering support in helping us further our mission of improving public health. Their commitment to providing access to fresh, nutritious food and financial resources has been instrumental in empowering the communities we serve,” said Lisa Helfman, Founder of Brighter Bites. “Together, we are creating a healthier future, and we couldn’t do this vital work without their partnership.”

Since its founding in 2012, Brighter Bites has provided over 65 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than one million individuals (including teachers) in Austin, Bakersfield, Dallas, Houston, Las Cruces, Phoenix, New York City, Salinas, San Antonio, Southwest Florida, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area.

To learn more about Brighter Bites and ways to partner with the nonprofit, visit brighterbites.org, or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X, or YouTube.

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