A Year in Review: The Ways Pepsi Gave
From an inaugural city potluck to building a house for a family in need, our bottlers were grateful for so many opportunities to get involved in the Carolinas in 2019. We also had fun in the process. Here are just four of the ways we worked to help improve the Carolinas last year.
We’re here to help build up the Carolinas. That’s why, in May 2019, we teamed up with volunteers from Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County and local businesses to construct a home for the Drummond family of Greenville. While onsite at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, new Habitat homeowner Lakisha Drummond wanted to tell the nearly 300 volunteers, “Thank you for taking their time out from their day and their families to help me and my family’s dream come true.”
Pepsi got its start in New Bern, NC more than 100 years ago, so the Carolinas have always felt like home to us. More importantly, we want to make sure the Carolinas always feel like home to everyone who lives here. So, we thought a lighthearted test of Southern insight could help, weather patterns and city nicknames included.
Christian McCaffrey isn’t from here, but even he did well enough on the test to declare himself a True Carolinian. It’s not too late for you to take the Test of a True Carolinian, either. Start here.
Luke Kuechly showed it best: Cuddling is cute, but donations make a difference. He (and his furry friend) helped us kick off a month-long #PawsForAPepsi campaign on social media to inspire our followers to take pause to celebrate our support of shelter dogs in the Carolinas by posting puppy photos of their own. Meanwhile, we pledged a $1,000 donation to split between the Humane Society of Charlotte and the Charleston Animal Society. Thanks to our followers, who tagged us in more than 100 photos, it was a true case of puppy love.
The first city-wide potluck to unite neighbors in Greenville, SC overtook the Bridge on Main Street on Nov. 25. Locals were invited to join the event for free the week of Thanksgiving, with a percentage of proceeds from sponsorships like Pepsi’s supporting Project Host. The nonprofit started as a soup kitchen and has grown to offer both job training and hunger relief.
As for the response? Guests came loaded with dishes to share, and event organizers were amazed by the turnout. The organizers posted on Instagram: “You put on a show today, Greenville. We showed the state, the country and the world that with a little kindness and compassion, we could come together by the thousands, sit at a table and eat as one community."
