Whole Foods Facebook Page Shares Shopper Aspirations, Charitable Giving

Whole Foods Market kicked off the New Year with a new Facebook application that will give back to three national nonprofit food organizations while allowing shoppers to share their aspirations for living.

In lieu of traditional New Year's resolutions, Whole Foods’ first-ever Facebook application encourages shoppers to declare “This is my year to...,” choosing a food-related mantra that best describes their aspirations for the coming year. Shoppers and fans of Whole Foods Market’s Facebook page can update their status by deciding their “This is my year to...” aspirations while supporting a nonprofit group.

“We believe small, simple steps are the best way to enjoy healthy eating and living well on a budget, and we hope our shoppers will share their aspirations and ideas with others through the new This is my year to... Facebook application,” said Barry Hirsch, Whole Foods program coordinator. “Collectively, our shoppers will also be supporting three terrific nonprofit organizations.”

The Austin, Texas-based natural and organic products retailer is working with media partner Health Magazine and vendor partner Odwalla to raise awareness for three selected nonprofits. Each group will receive a $10,000 donation, and the nonprofit with the most votes on Facebook will receive an additional $10,000.

The application is available for download at http://apps.facebook.com/thisismyyearto. Throughout January, fans can vote for their favorite mantra and its related nonprofit organization:

This is my year to...

—Know Where My Food Comes From: The Non-GMO Project (www.nongmoproject.org) is a collaboration of manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed companies and consumers. The organization’s belief is that everyone deserves an informed choice about whether to consume genetically modified products, and its mission is to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO choices

—Choose Organic: Mission Organic 2010. The Organic Center (www.organic-center.org) is a campaign with the goal of increasing the current market for organic food from 3 percent to 10 percent by the end of 2010, for healthier food and a healthier planet

— Share My Plate: GrowingPower (www.growingpower.org) is a national organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, by providing equal access to healthy, safe and affordable food. The group provides hands-on training, outreach and assistance in developing community food systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner

Whole Foods will highlight five more of its favorite mantras for the New Year in promotions and materials displayed throughout its stores and Web site: Eat My Greens, Know My Food, Learn to Cook, Save Without Compromise, and Make Simple Changes. In addition, stores will host tours to help educate shoppers about healthy food choices, with an emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Shoppers can also share their personal aspirations in-store, via customer declarations to be posted by Whole Foods team members in a community area.

Whole Foods operates 280 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
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