Post Holdings Teams Up with The Little Bit Foundation to Support Education at Mann Elementary
ST. LOUIS, MO, February 23, 2017—Post Holdings and The Little Bit Foundation today announced an $85,000 contribution from Post in support of Little Bit’s programs and services at Mann Elementary in the Tower Grove South neighborhood. Furthermore, the Company has made a commitment to working closely with Little Bit and Mann on service projects and other activities that will enhance learning for the school’s more than 250 Pre-K through 5th grade students.
To celebrate their new partnership, the groups have planned a school assembly and presentation at Mann Elementary, located at 4047 Juniata St., on the morning of Monday, March 6, 2017, beginning at 9:00. Robert Vitale, President and Chief Executive Officer of Post Holdings, and Rosemary Hanley, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Little Bit Foundation, will address the audience and Post will treat the students to a special surprise.
“We are honored to partner with The Little Bit Foundation to help local children remove obstacles to success,” says Vitale. The employees of Post selected The Little Bit Foundation from among more than 20 organizations evaluated by the Company’s Giving Committee. From there, the Company narrowed its focus to Mann Elementary, where it plans to spend time volunteering and dedicating other resources. In December, Post held a book drive and fair for the school.
“We are very grateful for this incredibly generous gift from Post and thrilled to see their excitement over becoming involved at Mann,” says Hanley. “It is so important for businesses and corporations headquartered in St. Louis to get behind improving education for our area’s students, especially those in our most socioeconomically challenged neighborhoods. Our students are our future employees, consumers, entrepreneurs and leaders, and their success in the community depends on their success in the classroom.”
Little Bit has served Mann Elementary since 2003, leading a network of providers and programs designed to improve student attendance, self-esteem, classroom engagement, reading proficiency and focus on learning. Mann is one of 13 St. Louis Public Schools, which recently regained full state accreditation, and 25 total schools currently supported by Little Bit. Ninety to 100% of students in Little Bit schools live at or below the federal poverty level. Hanley says that Little Bit’s cost to serve one school for a year averages more than $50,000.
“We treasure our longstanding relationship with Little Bit, who has played a significant role in turning around student performance, and we are overwhelmed by the generosity of Post. It means more than I can express to see the community coming together to support academic excellence for our children,” says Angela Glass, Principal of Mann Elementary.
About Post Holdings
Post Holdings, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a consumer packaged goods holding company operating in the center-of-the-store, foodservice, food ingredient, private label, refrigerated and active nutrition food categories. Through its Post Consumer Brands business, Post is a leader in the ready-to-eat cereal category and offers a broad portfolio that includes recognized brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, Pebbles™, Great Grains®, Grape-Nuts®, Honeycomb®, Frosted Mini Spooners®, Golden Puffs®, Cinnamon Toasters®, Fruity Dyno-Bites®, Cocoa Dyno-Bites®, Berry Colossal Crunch® and Malt-O-Meal® hot wheat cereal. Post’s Michael Foods Group supplies value-added egg products, refrigerated potato products, cheese and other dairy case products and dry pasta products to the foodservice, food ingredient and private label retail channels and markets retail brands including All Whites®, Better’n Eggs®, Simply Potatoes® and Crystal Farms®. Post’s Active Nutrition platform aids consumers in adopting healthier lifestyles through brands such as PowerBar®, Premier Protein® and Dymatize®. Post’s Private Brands Group manufactures private label peanut butter and other nut butters, dried fruits, baking and snacking nuts, cereal and granola. For more information, visit www.postholdings.com.
About The Little Bit Foundation
Founded in 2001, The Little Bit Foundation (www.thelittlebitfoundation.org) works to eliminate barriers to learning by providing for the basic needs of disadvantaged children in the St. Louis area. The organization currently serves 7,000 students in 25 partner schools in St. Louis city and North County, representing 4% of the total child population living in poverty in the region today. Little Bit is committed to maintaining a weekly presence in school communities, working one-on-one with every child and serving as the backbone of distribution for programs and services that address the needs of the whole child, be it physical, mental or emotional. The results are positive personal growth and increased self-esteem in students impacted by poverty, leading to improved attendance, behavior and academic success.