Sustainable love is all around

Daniel O’Neill

A new corporate initiative called Sustainable Love will see two notable Cork based charities supported as they help make the community a better place.

In February Cork PepsiCo Employee Resource Groups such as Green Teams, Women’s Inclusion Network and Charity Committee encouraged employees to participate in donating new or unused items to Edel House and Cork Penny Dinners.

More than 50 donation boxes were filled with items like toiletries, gift sets, books, small clothing items, and arts and crafts sets for children. PepsiCo also collaborated with Cork Penny Dinners and saw monetary donations, clothing collections and events organised during work hours.

The two establishments are no strangers to each other and have worked closely for years.

Bernadette Leyden, Green Team Lead at PepsiCo, said: “PepsiCo’s Little Island Green Team supported this campaign which promotes recycling of unused items in our homes.

“We are thrilled to continue our support with these amazing charities Edel House and Cork Penny Dinners, strengthening our partnerships, whilst embedding sustainable practices with our employees.”

PepsiCo also helps provide support to women and children to find housing and helps homeless teenage girls return to education through collaboration with Edel House. Claire Harrington, Event Co-Ordinator and Social Care Leader at Edel House said: “We are delighted to receive this fabulous donation from PepsiCo. It is of great value to us as we continually work to support the women, children and families in our service who are homeless.”

Alan Barry, R&D Director and Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) Co-Chair added: “On behalf of PepsiCo’s WIN, we were delighted to be able to assist these important charities in Cork, who do so much great work to support women and girls in our communities. PepsiCo’s Inclusion for Growth strategy provides a platform for continued engagement in our local communities, and this donation drive is just one of many initiatives that PepsiCo support in Cork to give back to the community.”

For 2025 PepsiCo has committed to supporting local charities to help improve the local community and give support to those that need it most.