National award recognizes generosity of Battle Creek's Kellogg

Kellogg Company has the Spirit of America says the United Way.

The company's generous giving and innovative leadership in the community inspired the United Way to give its top national award to Kellogg.

Kellogg Company is the first Michigan-based company to win the Spirit of America award. United Way has recognized corporate giving with the Spirit of America Award for 23 years. Some past winners include 3M, FedEx and Pfizer.
 
The United Way lauded Kellogg Company for going beyond food and financial donations to spearhead a downtown revitalization effort in Battle Creek, including the expansion of its global nutrition research facility, committing to move more employees downtown, donating a building for potential use as a math and science education center and partnering with various organizations to bring new businesses and jobs to the community.

In 2009, Kellogg was the first to produce food solely for donation. The company donated an entire day's worth of cereal production — 3.7 million pounds — to Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief organization.

United Way was impressed with Kellogg's innovative celebrity partnership with Katalyst, a social media studio co-founded by Ashton Kutcher.
 
Kellogg teamed up with Katalyst to spotlight the plight of the hungry. An online video consisting of user-generated content and directed by Demi Moore illustrated the fact that one out of every eight Americans struggle with hunger.

"On behalf of our entire organization, I'm humbled and honored to accept the United Way Spirit of America Award," says David Mackay, president and chief executive officer of Kellogg Company.

The United Way spelled out the other gifts that led to the award:

-- Kellogg Company's $5.9 million campaign pledge in 2009 was 19 percent over goal.

-- Kellogg also stepped up with a $600,000 grant to United Way of Greater Battle Creek to address increased basic health and income needs in the hometown of the company's headquarters. This grant provided, among other gifts, 20 pounds of fresh vegetables weekly to nearly 2,000 people.

-- Kellogg employees across the United States conducted more than 45 food drives that collected more than 47,000 pounds of food. And Kellogg has donated more than 94 million pounds of food, or 66 million meals, over the past five years.

-- Kellogg also worked with Action for Healthy Kids to improve healthy eating and physical activity among children around the country. This includes helping dozens of schools nationwide increase the number of kids eating a healthy breakfast at school.

-- Kellogg partnerships around the globe, including working with United Way of Mumbai, India, to provide meals to underprivileged children. The company also  is a founding partner of The Global FoodBanking Network.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: David Mackay, Kellogg Company