CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kristen Bell, actress and co-founder of This Bar Saves Lives, LLC, debuted “Meet Kendy” yesterday at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. The 60-second video is among the first of its kind to show the transformational impact that global food aid has on children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
“South by Southwest is centered on empowering people, this idea that you can do anything,” said Bell. “Watching Kendy’s malnourished body return to a healthy weight as a result of the life-saving food aid donated from the sale of This Bar Saves Lives® shows that small acts can add up to create a major impact. This video, and Kendy’s recovery, is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen.”
Approximately 1 million children die from severe acute malnutrition every year, according to Action Against Hunger. Yet this life-threatening condition is preventable and treatable.
“Meet Kendy” follows Kendy, a 9-month-old child in Haiti, as he receives multiple daily servings of Plumpy’Nut®, a nutrient-rich peanut paste filled with vitamins and minerals. The time-lapse video features photos of Kendy sitting on his grandmother’s lap and regaining 50 percent of his body weight in less than three months.
“Kendy is not unique – he is the face of millions of children around the world,” said Ryan Devlin, CEO and co-founder of This Bar Saves Lives. “We want to share his story so that everyone can see how quickly severely malnourished children can be brought back to health when they get the essential nutrients their bodies so desperately need.”
This Bar Saves Lives®’ direct giveback model is helping thousands of children like Kendy. For every product sold, the company donates life-saving food, including Plumpy’Nut®, to a child suffering from severe malnutrition.
Since its launch in 2013, This Bar Saves Lives® has sold more than 2 million premium fruit and nut bars, helping to save more than 15,000 lives. The company partners with global nonprofit organizations, including Action Against Hunger and Second Mile Haiti, to deliver the food aid.
“Meet Kendy” premiered at the Create & Cultivate event at SXSW on Sunday, Mar. 12, 2017.
About This Bar Saves Lives:
This Bar Saves Lives® is a leading social impact brand and manufacturer of exceptional snack bars. Each bar is a delicious, perfectly balanced and healthy blend of nuts, seeds and fruits guaranteed to make anyone happy. All bars are non-GMO, gluten free, fair trade and bee friendly. The company’s core mission is to help treat and prevent malnutrition by donating life-saving food to children around the world. This Bar Saves Lives is available in retail stores nationwide, including select Target, Starbucks and Whole Foods locations. This Bar Saves Lives, LLC is based in Culver City, California. For more information, visit www.thisbarsaveslives.com.
In 2013, Ryan Devlin and Todd Grinnell traveled to Africa on a humanitarian trip and saw firsthand the tragedy of severe acute malnutrition in children throughout the region, but also how this condition could be effectively combated through a supplement called Plumpy’Nut®. Upon returning to the United States, Devlin and Grinnell, along with co-founders Ravi Patel and Kristen Bell, created one of the most direct life-saving efforts in the marketplace. This Bar Saves Lives® was built on a simple and impactful premise: For every bar sold, we give life-saving food to a child in need. We eat together.
©2017 This Bar Saves Lives. All rights reserved. The TBSL logo is a trademark of This Bar Saves Lives, LLC. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.