Today, The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community announced it has awarded nearly $1 million to more than 100 organizations whose work supports one or more of the Foundation’s focus areas – youth leadership and entrepreneurship, food security and food waste reduction. Franchise partners who own and operate Papa John’s locations, as well as teams at Papa John’s corporate-owned restaurants, applied to the Foundation for these grants on behalf of local organizations addressing these areas within their respective communities.

Local organizations in more than 40 U.S. cities will use these grants to support a wide range of efforts across the Foundation’s three focus areas:

• Youth leadership and entrepreneurship – including Community Tampa Bay’s ANYTOWN® program, which empowers young people to create more inclusive schools and communities, and Regional Youth Leadership, a community-based entrepreneurship program developing the next generation of leaders in the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati area, as well as other leadership development programs, community service experiences, financial literacy workshops and scholarships;
• Food security – such as planting community gardens with the Greenwood Community Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and closing the gap in hunger children face during weekends, summers and extended breaks through organizations like Every Meal in the Twin Cities, Baltimore Hunger Project, and others; and
• Food waste reduction – including America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, which is working with local farmers and restaurants to recover surplus food, divert waste from landfills and deliver food to people in need.

“These grants from The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community are our latest effort to deliver on three of our company’s core values – People First, Do the Right Thing and Everyone Belongs,” said Rob Lynch, president and CEO of Papa John’s. “The Foundation supports our team members and franchise partners’ commitment to driving positive change in their communities and to living these values every day.”

“Papa John’s franchisees have a legacy of giving back to their communities, from delivering food to people impacted by disasters, to providing ongoing financial support for local organizations,” said franchisee Joe Johnson of E&R Foods, LLC and board member, The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community. “These grants will help accelerate the impact of these partnerships in Papa John’s communities across the US.”

To learn more about The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community and its mission to support communities as they work together for equality, fairness, respect and opportunity for all, visit https://www.papajohns.com/foundation/

About The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community

Founded in 2019, The Papa John’s Foundation supports communities as they work together for equality, fairness, respect and opportunity for all. We believe empowered communities overcome divides through civility and unity, and we support organizations that share our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Through partnerships with leading national and local community organizations, The Papa John’s Foundation’s philanthropic approach focuses on Youth Leadership & Entrepreneurship, Food Security and Food Waste Reduction.

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