CHICAGO – Quaker and actress/mom Joely Fisher, star of FOX comedy’s ’Til Death, are teaming up to help moms and kids volunteer through a partnership with Kids Care Clubs, a national organization dedicated to developing compassion and the spirit of service in children 5 -13 years old.

Quaker’s Partnership with Kids Care Clubs

October is known to be the beginning of the “season of giving” – to give back to communities where we live and work. Youth volunteerism is on the rise in the United States, with as many as 55 percent of youth reporting that they volunteer,1 but still, moms are looking for convenient ways to get their kids involved. Quaker understands the importance of community engagement through youth volunteerism. That’s why Quaker is teaming up with Kids Care Clubs to support its mission to raise compassionate, community-minded kids and to help moms and others encourage their children to get involved at an early age. With a multi-year commitment, Quaker will help local Clubs implement their volunteer activities by providing mini-grants and coupons for free Quaker products. Kids Care Clubs will debut a redesigned Web site, www.QuakerKidsCare.org, with tools and guidance for moms who want to get their children involved in and committed to youth volunteer efforts.

“As a mom of a 2-year-old and 6-year-old, I’m always looking for ways to get my kids involved in helping others, while also finding fun things we can do together. So I’m so pleased to be working with Quaker and Kids Care Clubs on an initiative that makes it easy for moms to teach their children about making a positive difference in the world,” says Joely Fisher, newly appointed youth volunteerism ambassador. “It’s never too early for moms to help kids form good habits, from volunteering, to eating wholesome foods like those from Quaker I’ve enjoyed since childhood.”

Fisher, daughter of Connie Stevens and Eddie Fisher, learned the value of giving back at an early age. Now, she and a group of young volunteers are launching the Quaker and Kids Care Clubs initiative by bringing good moments to a senior center in New York City. They are performing songs, playing games and making crafts with the residents.

This volunteer activity will also help kick off Kids Care Week, which is an annual celebration of the power of kids to reach out and help others in their local communities, Oct. 21-27. Tens of thousands of children ages 5-13 across the country will participate in youth volunteer projects under the theme of “Bringing Good Moments” to people in need. The projects are designed to benefit the areas of homelessness, literacy, seniors and service personnel and include educational materials that teach children about compassion.

Passion for Giving

“Today’s moms were raised by moms who believed passionately in giving back to the community. It’s only natural that they would want to pass that tradition along to their children,” says Kathy Saulitis, Kids Care Clubs director. “I applaud the efforts of parents who actively help kids get involved in volunteer activities, and have great appreciation for Quaker’s efforts to help us grow interest in youth volunteerism initiatives nationwide.”

For more than a century, Quaker has been a trusted partner in nutrition – delivering wholesome goodness families need to be their best every day. Quaker also has a rich heritage for caring and long history of making contributions to their local communities.

“Quaker understands the importance of nourishing kids from the inside out, which is why our partnership with Kids Care Clubs works so well,” says Marie Devlin, chief marketing officer, Quaker Foods and Snacks. “Together, we want to motivate a new generation of civic-minded children by inspiring moms to share their passion for social causes with their kids and by fueling their bodies with good food.”

Moms can visit www.QuakerKidsCare.org for the support and resources they need to start their own Kids Care Club, hear real volunteer success stories and sign up for the Quaker Moms Care network, quarterly emails featuring the latest volunteerism facts, trends, benefits, success stories and opportunities to receive Quaker product and discounts.

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ABOUT QUAKER OATS

Quaker Foods & Snacks, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For nearly 130 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Holding No. 1 positions in their respective categories, Quaker Oats, Quaker Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerSnackBars.com.

PepsiCo is committed to sustainable growth, defined as Performance with Purpose, and is focused on generating healthy financial returns while giving back to communities it serves. Performance with Purpose includes meeting consumer needs with an increasing spectrum of convenient foods and beverages, reducing the company’s impact on the environment through water, energy and packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse and inclusive culture that recruits and retains world-class talent. PepsiCo is listed on the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index.

ABOUT KIDS CARE CLUBS

Kids Care Clubs is a program of Points of Light & Hands On Network. Since 1990, Kids Care Clubs has been providing meaningful opportunities for elementary and middle school children to develop compassion and inspire a spirit of volunteering.

1Corporation for National and Community Service. Building Active Citizens: The Role of Social Institutions in Teen Volunteering. Brief 1 in the Youth Helping America series. Washington, D.C. November 2005.