100,000 Power Bags for primary and special-needs school children

Cologne, 15.09.09

REWE Group pilot project together with industry and "Tafel" groups

Children need a healthy meal during the break so they can keep going all day and perform well at school. An important first step has been taken with a scheme to provide around 100,000 "Power Bags" to kids for free. The project is organised by the REWE Group, through the store brands REWE and PENNY, in partnership with the "Tafel", Germany's volunteer organisation of food bank distribution points for the needy - its federal association (Bundesverband Deutsche Tafel e.V.) and the local "Tafel" groups in the participating cities. Through this three-month pilot project, which started on September 15th, pupils from six primary and special-needs schools in Germany (Leipzig, Chemnitz, Gadebusch, Rostock, Hattersheim and Bamberg) are receiving a free snack bag during the break, containing a nourishing sandwich, a drink and a piece of fruit as well as other food items. Schools in Aachen and Bremen are also scheduled to join the scheme later this year.

To make sure the Power Bag delivers what its name promises, the contents have been chosen by a nutrition specialist. She is a member of the pool of experts at the German dieticians association, the Verband der Oecotrophologen e.V. (VDOE). As a certified VDOE consultant, she has carefully identified the best food items from the sponsors' own product range, taking account of dietary recommendations for children and teenagers.

The project is also supported by financial and food donations from Campina, Chiquita, Danone, Kraft Foods, Nestlé, Unilever and Zentis along with two production companies belonging to the REWE Group itself - Glocken Bäckerei (bakers) and Wilhelm Brandenburg (butchers).

"As part of our sustainability strategy, we and our partners are working to encourage a balanced diet from an early age through the Power Bags initiative. In this way, we are taking responsibility for an issue of great social importance. The Bags literally give children the power they need to get through a long and often strenuous day at school. Fruit and all the other healthy items are ideal pick-me-ups and should be a permanent and life-long part of everyone's daily diet," said Manfred Esser, Management Board member of REWE Group in charge of Strategic Purchasing, speaking at the campaign launch on September 15th in Leipzig. "With the Power Bags, we are helping where it's really needed - quickly and without any bureaucratic fuss," Esser added.

"Tafel is one of the biggest community-based welfare movements in Germany. We are delighted that the REWE Group is now helping us with this pilot project, which aims to get children enthusiastic about a balanced diet. This is especially important because far too many children from socially disadvantaged families come to school in the morning hungry. They don't get a proper breakfast at home. These girls and boys will be particularly keen to receive the breakfast package," said Gerd Häuser, Chairperson of the Bundesverband Deutsche Tafel e.V. "Our Tafel groups have been active on this issue for years. They already supply day-care centres and schools in badly deprived areas with breaktime snacks, including fruit and vegetables. The Power Bag initiative further strengthens these efforts. Children with a full stomach can concentrate on their lessons, learn more and make progress at school," said Gerd Häuser, thanking all concerned.

"Children are in particular need of a balanced breakfast as the best start to the day. If school children are to maintain their enthusiasm for learning right through to the last lesson, they must be able to replenish their energy reserves in-between lessons. We at the German dieticians association, VDOE, welcome the Power Bags initiative. It guarantees that every pupil at the schools supported by the project will get the chance to recharge their batteries and perform to their best potential," explained Dr. Andrea Lambeck, Chairperson of the Verband der Oecotrophologen e.V. (VDOE).


REWE was found in Cologne in 1927. The REWE Group now includes REWE, toom, PENNY, toom BauMarkt, ProMarkt, ATLASREISEN, DER-Reisebüros, ITS, and Dertour. With total sales of around EUR 50 billion, some 320,000 employees and nearly 15,000 stores, it is one of the leading retailing and tourism businesses in Germany and Europe.

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