From left to right: Western New York Dunkin’ Franchisee Reggie Bowman; Dunkin’ Team Member Tina Hedges; Dunkin’ General Manager Anton Jayakodiarachchige; and FeedMore WNY Grant Writer Marc Badura.
Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation’s winter grant cycle includes over $2.8M in funding to support health and hunger relief nationwide
BUFFALO, NY – On National Joy Day, December 7, the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood FoundationÒ is spreading joy to local health and hunger relief charitable organizations with more than $2.8 million in grants. Locally, the Foundation today announced that $5,000 is being granted to FeedMore WNY to bring hunger relief to kids in Western New York. Across the country, the Foundation will award 133 grants to health and hunger relief organizations.
FeedMore WNY is the result of a merger between the Food Bank of WNY and Meals on Wheels for Western New York. The organization alleviates hunger and assists community members of all ages throughout Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties. FeedMore WNY will use the National Joy Day grant to support its BackPack, School Pantry and Kids in the Kitchen programs, which ensure children receive the essential nutrition they need to be healthy and happy.
These grants are part of a commitment by the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, Dunkin’ and its franchisees to bring the simple joys of childhood to kids facing hunger or illness. Grants include funding ambient experience systems at an emergency department to provide positive distractions to pediatric patients; princess photoshoots to help kids battling cancer feel more courageous, confident, and hopeful; a Winter Adaptive Surfing program for kids battling illness to experience the joy of surfing; camp experiences for pediatric patients and their families; a program to bring fresh produce and protein to kids and families; and mobile and school food pantries.
The Foundation is also awarding 22 grants for their signature grant programs Dogs for Joy, Dunkin’ Prom, Connecting Joy and their newest program, Joyful Spaces, which launched earlier this year. Joyful Spaces brings the joy of play and healing to kids battling illness and their families by supporting the creation or revitalization of playgrounds, healing gardens, teen rooms and play spaces.
“December is the season of giving and we are excited to kick off the month by awarding almost $3 million to bring joy to kids,” said Western New York Dunkin’ Franchisee Reggie Bowman. “National Joy Day is a day for us to celebrate our grantees and all of the joy that they bring to kids in our communities. We’re proud to support our partners and their efforts to make a difference this holiday season.”
Since its inception in 2006, the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation has granted more than $40 million to national and local nonprofits. The Foundation in 2022 has awarded over $8 million, including the National Joy Day grant announcements.
The National Joy Day grant announcement follows the Foundation’s Giving Tuesday partnership with Feeding America where $1 million was matched in donations to support hunger relief for children and their families throughout the county.
To learn more about the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, visit www.joyinchildhoodfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
About the Dunkin’® Joy in Childhood Foundation®
The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, the charitable foundation supported by Dunkin’, provides the simple joys of childhood to kids battling hunger or illness. The Foundation partners with food banks, children’s hospitals, and nonprofit organizations to fund joyful environments and joyful experiences for kids when they need it most. Since 2006, the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation has granted more than $40 million to hundreds of national and local charities across the country thanks to the generosity of its franchisees, guests, vendor partners and employees. For more information, please visit www.joyinchildhoodfoundation.org.
About Dunkin’®
Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced regular/decaf/flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin’ has earned a No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category for 16 years running. The company has more than 12,600 restaurants in 40 countries worldwide. Dunkin’ is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.