Whole Foods raises money to fight hunger

Whole Foods Market made a $46,784 donation to Solid Ground, a Seattle-based organization with a mission to build a community to end poverty. Throughout 2013, shoppers who visited any of the six Seattle-area Whole Foods Market stores had an opportunity to participate in the Bag Hunger program, with a cash donation to Solid Ground at the checkout registers.



Solid Ground will direct the funds to support its Cooking Matters program. Classes offered in more than 65 locations throughout Greater Seattle and Washington State focus on educating low-income individuals on healthy cooking skills, general nutrition education and budgeting.



"Whole Foods Market has worked in partnership with Solid Ground for more than six years and we love the opportunity to share this organization's great work with our shoppers," said Joe Rogoff, regional president at Whole Foods Market Pacific Northwest. "As a company, we want to find ways to create greater access to healthy eating education, and we appreciate the work Solid Ground does every day to make this a reality."



"We are grateful for this donation from Whole Foods Market and its compassionate community of shoppers. It is an investment that will help improve nutrition among vulnerable people, thereby addressing an important aspect of poverty in our community," said Gordon McHenry Jr., president and CEO of Solid Ground.



Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market has more than 325 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.