Who is Freelie and who is Berrio? Good question! The short answer is that they are characters from the childhood imagination of our founder, Hallie. The Freelies and the Berrios, perhaps not as much a household name as Dolce and Gabbana, Adam & Eve, Siegfried and Roy or even gin and tonic, nevertheless factored significantly in Hallie’s young life. These imaginary characters even had their own “language”, which Hallie’s older brother was required to learn a few words of on a daily basis. What a good sport. Several decades later the Freelies and the Berrios served as the creative impetus for a company was originated in the spirit of humor, joy and good health, and upon a foundation of care and concern for children’s most basic needs.
According to the USDA, 14% of food insecure households have children, approximately 11 million children live in food-insecure households, and an astounding 4.3% of households are home to starving children. Nearly 18% of children under 18 experience food insecurity, which includes those children that have inadequate food portions to be considered healthy, or a lack of access to nutritious foods.] None of these statistics capture the poor education that such a significant percentage of children have regarding the impact of unhealthy eating regardless of what their access to healthy food is. The results of that lack of nutrition is demonstrated in the increasing percentage of children who are currently experiencing or who are at risk for obesity, type-2 diabetes, certain cancers and autoimmune diseases. The risks from unhealthy eating in childhood even extend into adulthood. The good news is that addressing this concern is within our collective power. Providing education on healthy eating at all ages of childhood can have a dramatic impact on the food choices children make when that food is available to them.
Freelie & Berrio wants to engage a wider community not just as customers, but as commonly concerned partners in an effort to eradicate child hunger and instill healthy eating habits among young people. We hope you will engage with our blog where we share information and resources that support efforts to foster healthy eating, as well as to provide a forum for you to comment and share. Thanks for taking the time to learn about our company. We hope you visit our website and blog resources.