December brought us a powerful reminder – that not every home has the certainty of food on the table. That’s why we were honored to send a robust group of 30 staff from Border Foods’ headquarters to volunteer at Every Meal in Roseville, MN. 

Every Meal is a nonprofit devoted to fighting childhood hunger throughout our home state. This was our first time volunteering for the organization, but hopefully not our last. It just might become one of our newest holiday traditions!

On December 22, our team of volunteers rolled up their sleeves and jumped into action. The assignment was to pack bags with food that school kids could bring home for meals during winter break.

“It is a very cool feeling knowing that this is going directly to children who experience food insecurity when they are not at school.”

– Mollie Sommer, Community Outreach Specialist

According to Mollie, our volunteers assembled 4,308 bags which translates into 16,513 meals! While team bonding and camaraderie are definite perks, it’s the impact we made on local youth that really aligns with our higher mission. 

We can’t wait to do this again! A world without hunger is the very world we want to be a part of.

Each year, the Taco Bell Foundation awards millions of dollars in the form of community grants. These grants are distributed among youth-serving organizations in areas where Taco Bell does business. Specifically, funds are dedicated to expanding youth access to academic mentorship, career exploration, financial literacy and more.

We believe that empowering young people is one of the most meaningful ways we can invest in the future.

Lisa Lane Cardin, Executive Director of the Taco Bell Foundation

Border’s Big Impact

This was a record-breaking year for the Taco Bell Foundation, and we were excited to be part of it. Border Foods awarded over $3 million of the $28 million total raised!

These funds were made possible thanks to the generous contributions of guests, Taco Bell team members and franchisee owners. But just how does it all come together? 

A Little ata Time

We spoke with a couple of Border team members to learn more about the fundraising process. They shared that “rounding up” — the practice of asking guests when checking out if they’d like to round up their total to the next dollar (with the extra funds going straight to the Taco Bell Foundation) — is responsible for a huge portion of the money that’s raised each year. 

Aaron Engler, our CEO & President, explained that we’ll see the impact of the funds that were raised right here in our communities. Rather than going to one centralized location, the money that each Taco Bell franchisee generates goes to local organizations of their choosing in the areas that surround their restaurants.

Giving back to the communities we operate in has always been important

Mollie Sommer, Community Engagement Specialist

Uplifting Youth

We spoke with Max Thao, Program Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs East Side, which is one of the many local organizations that will benefit from a Taco Bell Foundation community grant. He shared that that the money they receive will be dedicated to improving the organization’s college and career readiness programming, helping prepare participants for the real world outside of high school and beyond.

In addition to local Boys & Girls Clubs, we were thrilled to present checks to a number of nearby Junior Achievement organizations, the YMCA of Rapid City, SD and more.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this generosity possible!

Please note: In order to make a larger impact in some markets, Border’s giving was combined with funds raised by fellow franchisee owners in surrounding areas.

It’s a tradition we can’t get enough of: getting Border Foods leaders out of our restaurants and into the community for some hands-on volunteering. Enjoy highlights from an active 2023 holiday season across the markets!

“We try to get involved with organizations that we already have relationships with through the Taco Bell Foundation,” says Community Outreach Specialist Mollie Sommer. Proximity to our restaurants is obviously key.

Volunteering for organizations that already receive grants from the Foundation gives our Area Coaches (ACs) and managers the chance to engage directly with those who benefit from our year-round Round Up fundraising at the register. 

Volunteering “freshens it up,” gets our people doing something out of the norm for a couple of hours.

Spotlight on Sioux Falls, SD

Border Foods has been volunteering during the holidays for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire since 2015. In December, a small team of our volunteers stopped by the club to read stories and work on art projects with local youth. In recent years, costumes have added to our fun — Assistant General Manager (AGM) Nick Ragsdale from Mitchell, SD, dressed up to become “Saint Nick” and handed out treats to the kids.

I love the focus on youth and building the future for all these great kids.

Steve Spindler, New Area Coach

Boys & Girls All Around

Border Foods teams volunteered at 10 Boys & Girls Clubs in 2023, including the Sioux Empire club. AC Jenn Coleman sums up the benefit to kids perfectly: “They get direct interaction with an adult who cares about them and helps them do fun things!” 

Check out all of our other stops during the 2023 holiday season:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County

Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley

Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland

Boys & Girls Club of Rockford

Boys & Girls Clubs of Twin Cities

Boys & Girls Clubs Yellowstone County

Our team had a blast with the kids!

Jenn Coleman, Area Coach

In addition to making an impression on our local youth in various markets, helping out with holiday crafts and playing basketball, we also sent teams of volunteers to:

Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)

St. Cloud Salvation Army