Throughout the month of September, our eight Portland locations are raising money to fight obesity and promote nutrition in Portland schools and beyond. At Whole Foods Market, we know that the more kids feel connected to their food – and the more curious they become about how things grow and taste – the more willing they are to try new and healthy foods. That’s why we created the Whole Kids Foundation® to support kids, families and schools in making more empowered, nutritious food choices.

To date, the Whole Kids Foundation has provided 68 school garden grants – a total of $136,000 – to public and private schools in Oregon. Across all stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., our impact includes:

• Over 4,000,000 kids choosing vegetables and fruits to nourish their bodies and minds
• 4,442 salad bars installed in schools
• 3,625 school gardens built
• 10,000+ teachers trained through the Healthy Teachers Program
• $18,300,916 raised through Team Members, customers, suppliers and sales

Why School Gardens

Edible gardens are powerful, multi-faceted learning spaces that engage every sense and are effective for all learning styles. Not only do learning gardens get kids eating more vegetables, they have been shown to boost memory and increase school attendance and academic performance. By investing in gardens, we’re transforming the next generation’s eating habits.

How to Get Involved

• Contribute to the Whole Kids Foundation throughout September by making a donation at one of our store registers
• Purchase products from our supporting vendors, and a percentage of sales will benefit the Whole Kids Foundation
• Encourage your local school to apply for one of the following Whole Kids Foundation programs:
  
• School Garden grant
• Extended Learning grant
• Honey Bee grant
• Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools grant
• Healthy Teachers classes

How to Apply

The 2016 application period runs September 1 through October 31, and notifications will be sent on February 15, 2017. Contact your school administrator to suggest they apply. For more information visit: https://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/.

About the Whole Kids Foundation

The Whole Kids Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Whole Foods Market, with both sharing the same values, principles, expertise and standards for quality ingredients and nutrition.