When people think about corporate partnerships, they often picture writing a check or sponsoring an event. But some of the most meaningful partnerships begin with something much simpler: listening to a community need and finding a way to meet it.
For nearly a decade, Post Consumer Brands has partnered with Simpson Housing Services to help ensure shelter guests start each morning with breakfast. What began with a one-time grant has grown into an enduring relationship built on creativity, shared values, and a commitment to making a difference.
It all started in 2019 through the Better Together Foundation, an employee-funded nonprofit created by employees at Malt-O-Meal, now part of Post Consumer Brands. Employees voluntarily contribute to the foundation through payroll deductions, allowing it to provide hardship grants and support nonprofit organizations in the communities where employees live and work.
As a member of the foundation’s board, Amy, a Post employee since 2008, helped award Simpson Housing Services a financial gift. During the visit to present the donation, she and another board member heard something that would spark a much larger partnership.
“Both organizations we visited said the same thing,” she recalls. “‘If you ever have extra cereal, we can always use cereal.'”
Working in Post’s research and development department, she knew exactly what that meant.
As new cereal formulas and production runs were tested, pallets of perfectly good cereal accumulated in the warehouse after product evaluations were complete. The cereal met all safety and quality requirements but no longer had a commercial purpose. It occupied valuable warehouse space, created logistical challenges, and sometimes ended up in landfills.
Rather than letting good food go to waste, she proposed creating a formal donation program.
After developing procedures to ensure every donated product met company safety and traceability standards, Post launched its cereal donation program. Simpson Housing Services became its very first recipient.
Today, that partnership continues to provide cereal for breakfast every day at Simpson’s shelter, allowing the organization to focus its food budget and resources elsewhere.
The partnership proved especially meaningful during the COVID-19 pandemic. As shelter operations shifted to provide 24-hour care and access became more difficult, Post employees found another way to help. While most employees worked remotely, cereal continued arriving for product testing. Amy and her husband personally loaded their pickup truck with cases of cereal and delivered them directly to Simpson.
For her, the commitment goes beyond donating food.
“When I visited Simpson and saw how they treat people—not just as people experiencing homelessness, but as human beings with names, dignity, and unique needs—that really spoke to me,” she says. “You can’t help but want to support that mission.”
That mission also aligns naturally with the culture at Post Consumer Brands. Company values encourage employees to “bring joy” and “act like an owner,” fostering a workplace where community involvement is encouraged alongside business success. The company supports volunteerism, employee giving, fundraising events, and nonprofit partnerships throughout the communities it serves.
But perhaps one of the most impactful moments in the partnership came when Simpson staff visited Post for a Lunch & Learn.
Rather than simply asking for support, they shared who Simpson serves, the complex realities that can lead someone to experience homelessness, and how the organization works alongside people to build lasting stability.
For many employees, it changed their perspective.
“It really opened people’s eyes,” she says. “You realize how quickly life can change and how easily someone could find themselves needing help.”
That conversation inspired employees to volunteer, organize donation drives, and prepare meals for shelter guests. It demonstrated that education can be just as powerful as fundraising in building long-term community partnerships.
The partnership has also shown that giving back doesn’t always require creating something new. Sometimes it’s about recognizing resources you already have.
For Post, donating excess inventory reduces warehouse congestion, minimizes landfill waste, saves disposal costs, provides tax benefits, and strengthens relationships with community partners—all while ensuring nutritious food reaches people who need it. It’s a practical solution that benefits both the business and the community.
For businesses wondering where to begin, her advice is refreshingly simple.
“The things you can do to make a big impact for Simpson are easy,” she says. “People want to help—they just need someone to be the voice that says, ‘Let’s do this.’ Once you start, it’s contagious.”
That support doesn’t have to look like Post’s. Every company has unique talents, products, services, employees, or resources that can make a difference. Whether it’s donating supplies, volunteering as a team, sponsoring an event, sharing professional expertise, or providing financial support, there are countless ways to partner with Simpson Housing Services.
As Post Consumer Brands has demonstrated, the strongest partnerships aren’t measured simply by dollars donated. They’re built on shared purpose, creative thinking, and a willingness to ask one simple question:
How can what we already have help our neighbors thrive?
Whatever your business has to offer, Simpson Housing Services can help turn it into lasting impact.
When businesses partner with Simpson, they’re not simply making a donation. They’re investing in neighbors, strengthening the community where they live and work, and joining a network of organizations committed to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to build a stable future.