Hi! I’m Deanna McKinley, public relations coordinator for Frito-Lay North America (that's me on the left). In my opinion, I have one of the coolest jobs in the company. Don’t believe me? I share our associates’ good news with their local communities and media. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of highlighting our top sales teams, our Million Mile over-the-road drivers, and our facilities’ top environmental milestones. I criss-cross the country helping organize major events and juggling media requests. Last week, an event in Detroit, Mich., solidified why I love what I do!
On Wednesday, June 16, PepsiCo partnered with Feed The Children’s Americans Feeding Americans Caravan to donate food and personal care items to 4,000 Detroit families. As you probably know, Detroit has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn. With the decline of the auto industry, struggling housing market and overall job loss, many Detroit families are in need of assistance. Led by Fred Gongola, Motown Metro Market Director, Frito-Lay, more than 300 local PepsiCo associates from Frito-Lay, PepsiCo Warehouse (Quaker, Tropicana and Gatorade) and Pepsi Beverages Company, gathered at Second Ebenezer Church to serve the Detroit community.
The Detroit Americans Feeding Americans event was a true community affair. Vanguard Community Development Corporation and their nonprofit partners across the city selected families in advance and provided vouchers for each family in need to present at the event.
Families began to file in on foot at 10 a.m. Frito-Lay and PepsiCo associates helped families carry
the donated items to their cars: A 25-pound box of food, 10-pound box of essentials, a box of Avon products, bananas and a bag filled with PepsiCo products including Frito-Lay's Baked! line of snacks, SunChips multigrain snacks, Rold Gold pretzels, Quaker Oatmeal, Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bars, Tropicana orange juice, Propel Fit water and Lipton Brisk iced tea. The turnout was so great, by 11 a.m., associates from PepsiCo, Vanguard and Feed the Children organized a four-lane drive-through system, and by lunchtime, cars were backed up to the highway!
Volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the day, and two Detroit Lions football players even joined in to help. At 4 p.m., we’d given away all 14,000 boxes from Feed the Children. The 25,000 PepsiCo snacks and drinks were gone and 14 tractor-trailers once filled with product, were empty. In their place was the joy in knowing 4,000 families of four will eat well for a week., PepsiCo’s Performance with Purpose vision was in action Wednesday and our associates helped create a better tomorrow than today for many Detroit families. It’s probably obvious now why I think I have one of the best jobs at Frito-Lay/PepsiCo.
- Deanna
I tried your MUNCHIES (CHEESE FIX). I loved them. I couldn't believe that you don't have an ad or commercial on TV about this wonderful snack. I travel a lot and I will be putting these greats snakes (MUNCHIES) in my bag. You know the airlines only give you soda, water, juices or coffee. Maybe you'll get a cookie. But, I sure will be bringing my MUCHIES with me. I even got hooked on the Hot MUNCHIES. My grandkids thinks I'm too old to be eating that Hot stuff. Come on, lets get the advertisments out there about the MUNCHIES! If you need me to do it for you, I will.
Pastor Renfro
Posted by: Pastor Sandra Renfro | July 04, 2010 at 12:01 PM
hey one morning i was so in a hurry to get to work i forgot breakfast,So i pick up a bag of Lays Classic,and it held me over til lunch.thank you everyone at all the plants in united state.From Phoenix,Az
Posted by: denata.osife | July 11, 2010 at 10:59 AM
hi auntie this is nia... doing a project for school and found this picture of you on google haha... lol talk to you later ... love ya
Posted by: nia garrett-crosby | February 10, 2011 at 10:23 AM