PHOENIX, Oct. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation today announced that it is expanding the impact Sprouts Farmers Market has on local neighborhoods with its inaugural Make a Difference Day on October 27 with team member volunteer activities throughout the company’s communities. More than 500 team members will contribute 2,000 volunteer hours across 28 nonprofit organizations nationwide, with the first group led by the company’s Store Support Office headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz. The events will be held in conjunction with National Make a Difference Day, the largest national day of community service.
“The purpose of Sprouts’ business is to inspire healthy living for everyone,” said Dan Sanders, Sprouts chief operations officer. “Our Foundation and team members share these values, making our efforts in Make a Difference Day a natural fit.”
The Foundation also announced that $2 million is being donated in support of nonprofit organizations this year. Both announcements further health and nutrition education and access in the communities surrounding the healthy grocer’s more than 300 stores from coast to coast.
Created in 2015, the Foundation supports nonprofits that reflect the company’s brand purpose of inspiring healthy living for all by raising funds through company and team member programs, vendor partnerships and guest contributions. Sprouts covers 100 percent of the Foundation’s operational expenses, ensuring that every dollar raised is used to support their nonprofit partner agencies.
“We’re working to shift the landscape of health by focusing on programs that empower children with the access, knowledge, confidence and desire to make healthier food choices so that they can grow up to become healthier adults,” said Lyndsey Waugh, executive director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. “The 197 Neighborhood Grant recipients that have received funding since the Foundation was formed in 2015 are key partners in helping to achieve our mission of changing how children understand nutrition.”
2018 Neighborhood Grant Recipients
This month, Sprouts will donate to 85 nonprofit organizations through its Neighborhood Grant program to further children’s understanding of nutrition and healthy eating, and broaden access to nutrition in communities surrounding the healthy grocer’s stores, including in the new markets of Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington state. These grants are made possible by money raised by the Foundation and the support of Sprouts shoppers through local in-store campaigns. For a full list of Neighborhood Grant recipients by state, visit sprouts.com/neighborhoodgrants.
New Impact Partners
The Foundation has also committed to multi-year, high-impact grants that are designed to help organizations scale established programs and develop and share best-practices in the areas of student nutritional curricula, and school and community gardening. Two new organizations will receive funding for new programs in 2018, joining the Foundation’s existing roster of high impact partners:
- Valley of the Sun United Way (VSUW) – The Foundation is committed to a three-year partnership designed to develop and implement a Healthy Food and Living Action Plan using VSUW’s Community Empowerment model in the Roosevelt School District in South Phoenix.
- The College of Natural Sciences at University of Texas at Austin – The Foundation and UT Austin are engaged in a three-year partnership designed to enhance the existing Texas Sprouts school gardening, nutrition and cooking programs through continued teaching support, teacher training and on-site research that will result in the creation of tools that can be scaled and replicated across multiple markets and partner organizations.
Foundation Expands Footprint
In Sprouts’ new markets, the Foundation also contributed to the following leading children’s health and wellness organizations:
- Living Classrooms Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students (BUGS) – Working with children from under-served Baltimore city communities, BUGS uses after-school and summer programs to empower and inspire children to develop academically, creatively and socially with activities such as cooking, gardening, creative arts and movement. Sprouts expanded into Maryland earlier this year with two new stores in the Baltimore area.
- Arnie’s Army – Based in Orlando, Fla., the charitable foundation of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is devoted to children facing challenges and enhances children’s lives through innovative treatment, youth leadership and nature-focused wellness programs. Sprouts will open its first Orlando-area store in Winter Park, Fla. on October 24.
- Urban Tree Connection – The Philadelphia-based nonprofit works with historically marginalized communities to transform abandoned open spaces into garden and farm sites which inspire, promote positive human interaction and serve as a safe gathering and education space to all ages to build a healthy, sustainable community. Sprouts opened its first Philadelphia store last month.
The remaining funds are being allocated across markets to health and wellness related causes, including Vitamin Angels, which delivers life-saving vitamins and nutrients to at-risk populations around the world. To learn more about the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, visit sprouts.com/foundation.
About Sprouts Farmers Market
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. specializes in fresh, natural and organic products at prices that appeal to everyday grocery shoppers. Based on the belief that healthy food should be affordable, Sprouts’ welcoming environment and knowledgeable team members continue to drive its growth. Sprouts offers a complete shopping experience that includes an array of fresh produce in the heart of the store, a deli with prepared entrees and side dishes, The Butcher Shop and The Fish Market at Sprouts, an expansive vitamins and supplements department and more. Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., Sprouts employs more than 28,000 team members and operates more than 300 stores in 19 states from coast to coast. Visit about.sprouts.com for more information.
Contact: media@sprouts.com, 602-682-1536