Matter, General Mills Foodservice Activate College Volunteers

Matter is teaming up with General Mills Foodservice for the second year to engage college students in a large-scale, two-day volunteer effort to provide healthy snacks and nutrition education to needy individuals in communities nationwide.

This year’s event has grown to include 100 college campuses in 34 states, up from 50 in 26 states in 2018, and will result in 44,000 individual Matterbox snack packs, according to event organizers, who describe the partnership between General Mills Foodservice and Matter as a mutually rewarding way to help colleges and universities improve the health of their communities with a turnkey way that promotes volunteerism. 

On March 27 and 28, each campus location will pack 200 Matterboxes with two snack packs including General Mills items such as Whole Grain Cheerios and Nature Valley Bars, along with other healthy food items. Each snack pack also includes nutrition information, as well as a YouMatter note that offers a way for volunteer packers to share an inspirational message with the recipients.

Once packed, the Matterboxes will be distributed locally to nonprofits, schools, after-school programs and healthcare providers.

“It has been so inspiring to see college students come together and join forces with other campuses nationwide to do an act of good in their communities,” Allison Curran, senior marketing manager for General Mills Foodservice, Minneapolis, said in a statement. “We are proud to work in partnership with Matter and expand our effort and impact even more communities this year.”

Related:Cheerios Teams Up With Matter in Student Volunteer Event

Quenton Marty, president of St. Louis Park, Minn.,-based Matter, said its Matterbox program was created “to activate healthy eating in order to give everyone a chance at a healthier life. It is a privilege to join with other like-minded organizations like General Mills to increase access to healthy food and nutrition education in new and innovative ways.”