Canadian-based organic snack bar brand MadeGood has launched a multi-channel international creative campaign to inspire youth to “Un-Wreck the Future” by taking ownership of local initiatives specifically in the areas of food insecurity. As part of the campaign, the company has pledged $125,000 in both cash and in-kind donations to participants who share their commitment to the cause.
Starting on August 19, 2021, and through the end of September, kids across the United States and Canada are invited to join the effort and become part of the brand’s "Un-Wrecking Crew" by uploading a short video about their efforts to reduce food insecurity in their communities to the campaign website, unwreckthefuture.com. Inspiring youth ambassadors have also been engaged to lead the charge, including University of Missouri medical student and founder of VolunTEEN Nation and Grow Healthy, Sophie Bernstein (21); Austin, Texas-based home gardener, Katie’s Krops grower, Ian’s Giving Garden founder, and TIME’s “Kid of the Year” finalist, Ian McKenna (17); Vancouver, Canada’s preteen philanthropist Jonathan “Bear” Yeung (11); and Toronto, Canada-based safe food environmental youth activist and founder of Kids Right To Know, Rachel Parent.
According to the company’s co-founder Nima Fotovat, “My sisters Sabha, Salma, and I founded MadeGood based on a passion for making healthy snacks and doing good in the world. We made an early commitment to food insecurity, which affects one in six children under the age of 18 both in Canada and the U.S., and have donated thousands in both cash and in-kind box donations to support grassroots and institutional causes. But when the pandemic hit, and cases of malnutrition skyrocketed, we decided it was time to think ‘out of the box’ and jump-start a movement led by the inspiring kids who are already making a difference in the world.”
The multi-year platform has ambitious and far-reaching objectives around creating a better, healthier, and more equitable society and MadeGood has prioritized food insecurity to kick off the campaign. Food insecurity has emerged as a significant concern during the pandemic, with experts saying that as many as 1.7 million Canadians and 42 million Americans now face going hungry.
The accompanying advertising campaign from Broken Heart Love Affair is running across Canada and the U.S.
21-year-old U.S. Youth Ambassador Sophie Bernstein, who is now in her second year of medical school at the University of Missouri, noted, “Growing up in a military family, we were always reminded of the need to give back to our communities. It doesn’t have to be something big, and you can start small—in my case, it came in the form of a simple but robust home-grown cabbage which fed over 120 people, and which launched an initiative which has donated nearly 45,000 pounds of produce to families in need. Kids are truly capable of anything, and I’m thrilled to encourage others to make a difference with MadeGood by growing vegetable gardens to fight hunger and promote healthy eating.”
17-year-old U.S. Youth Ambassador Ian McKenna, a freshman in college at the University of Texas, Austin, is enthusiastic about inspiring others to join in the fight to reduce food insecurity for kids. “I started Ian’s Growing Garden when I was just eight years old and have tended to my garden ever since. I’m so happy with how kids’ gardens can lessen local food insecurity and think it’s the perfect time to spread the message further with MadeGood’s campaign. I want to inspire other kids to make a difference, too.”
11-year-old Jonathan “Bear” Yeung has consistently helped his local community in Vancouver with his meaningful efforts. During the pandemic, he caught the attention of MadeGood who helped fuel his efforts to donate snacks to frontline hospital workers at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver for over a year throughout the worst of the pandemic. “I’m passionate to help and care deeply about food insecurity. I’m very excited to learn from what other youth are doing and begin to spread the Un-Wreck the Future movement,” said Yeung.
22-year-old Rachel Parent began researching a school project at the age of 12 and became alarmed by what she learned about GMOs. This gave her the spark to become an activist fighting for our right to know what’s in our food by making GMO labeling a law in Canada. “I am passionate and committed to help motivate youth and communities take simple actions every day for the protection of our ecosystems, the environment, and everyone’s future. You can never be too young to make a difference.”
For more information on the campaign, please visit unwreckthefuture.com.
