According to the New York Times, the number of Americans who are not consistently receiving access to adequate food has risen by 13 million people from last year.   Although we are all hearing reports that the economy is improving, there are still plenty of our neighbors who don’t get enough to eat every day. 

Why not help if you can?  100% of your donation will go to purchase food for the pantry.  You can donate $1, $2, or $5 as you check out.  It’s a great way to help local people in need while you’re doing your shopping.

As part of our “thank you” we are having an anniversary party on Saturday, August 22^nd from 12pm to 4:30pm.  The first 100 customers to the event will receive a free reusable tote bag and a gift.  We’ll have demos throughout the store, live music inside and out, and The Electric Bicycle Store will be by to give demonstrations on electric bicycles.  We’re also having an Artesian Cheese & Beer Tasting at 3pm in our Lifestyle Center. 

The cost for the cheese and beer tasting is $15 per person and all of the money from the tasting goes to The School Lunch Revolution, which is raising money to build a free web based portal to help K-12 school children receive healthier lunches. 

So stop by and let us “thank you” for 8 great years in the city!

We’re also on Twitter.  We’ll send you updates on last minute sales, events and even have special giveaways just for those who are following our Tweets!

Electric bicycle, you say.  Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of having a bike in the first place?  And if you ride an electric bike, why not just have a scooter or a moped?

Well an electric bike rides just like a conventional bike so you can pedal and get your exercise.  But it also has a motor that can go up to 20 MPH without pedaling.  And that’s great for going over drawbridges, when you need a little extra oomph or when you just don’t feel like pedaling after being at the beach all day.

And unlike a scooter or a moped an electric bike has zero-emissions and is great for the environment. 

This is the perfect Father’s Day gift for that dad who has everything, wants to ride a bike to work, and loves the environment. 

So if this sounds like the bike for you (or your dad!) stop by our store on June 13^th to give the bike a whirl.  The first 30 people who test ride the Ultra Motor A2B that day will receive a free $5 Whole Foods Market gift card.  All test riders must be 18 years of age or older and must sign a waver. 

Everyone wants to have really great tasting food at their summer events.  But how do you feed your family something they think tastes good but makes you feel good about giving it to them?  Shop at Whole Foods Market! 

Summer is a great time for produce.  Right now we have mangos, local corn, cherries, watermelon and tons of other fruits and vegetables that are fresh and refreshing.  Our Meat department is crowded with a variety of different meats for the grill.  And our meat is all grain fed and have never been given any steroids, additional hormones, antibiotics or nitrates. 

Or visit our Whole Body department.  We have body care products including sunscreen, insect repellent, and lotions for poison ivy. And none of our Whole Body products have ever been tested on animals. 

Want more information or want a sample of some of the great things we have to offer?  Then stop by our Destination Summer event taking place this Saturday, May 23^rd from 11am to 3pm.  We’ll have samples throughout the store, free face painting for the kids, and a live steel drum player.  We’ll also have a free Kid’s Corner from 11am to 1pm where we’ll be decorating cards for the troops.  And in keeping with honoring the men and women who serve overseas to protect our country we’ll have a Giving Grill from 11:30am to 3pm – you can purchase burgers, hot dogs, drinks and ice cream.  All proceeds from the Giving Grill will be given to the USO, a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to supporting the troops by providing morale and welfare services to men and women in uniform. 

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of our summer brochure while you’re here.  There are great tips and recipes for you to use all summer long!   

For the past 25 years Habitat for Humanity of Broward has built 260 houses throughout the county and helped make homeownership affordable for hardworking low-income families who otherwise would be trapped in substandard housing. 

5% Days are a great way for you to donate to a local non-profit just by doing your weekly shopping.  So stop by on May 20^th and help some of your neighbors at the same time. 

Interested in applying for a 5% Day for your non-profit organization? Visit our webpage and download an application at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/fortlauderdale/community-giving.php.  

We know that actions speak louder than words so here at the Ft. Lauderdale store we’re not only recycling the basics.  We’re also recycling #5 plastics.  #5 plastics (yogurt containers, medicine bottles, containers from our Prepared Foods department) generally aren’t recycled at curbsides and if they are, the plastics are often sold to foreign countries to be burned for energy, which isn’t great for the environment.  Our solution?  We work with Preserve on the Gimme 5 Program – we take your #5 plastics and send them to Preserve.  The plastics are turned into pellets and then transformed into new Preserve products.  How can you tell if something is a #5 plastic?  Just turn it over and look for a number 5 on the bottom.  Our Gimme 5 recycling bin is located at Customer Service so bring your #5 plastics back to the Ft. Lauderdale store and help save landfill space. 

We also want to encourage you to bring in your own bags to pack your groceries so we provide you with a 10 cent refund for every bag you bring and use to put your groceries in.  It helps save on paper bags and it’s a great way to celebrate the Earth all year long. 

On April 11 our store will be having an Earth Month Celebration from 11am to 3pm.  Our teams will be demo’ing products that use sustainable farming practices, are organic, are part of our Whole Trade Guarantee or are a local product.  Vendors scheduled to be in the store include Gaby’s Farm, Beeceuticals, and Kopali Organics.  The first 50 customers to come to our event that day will get a free reusable tote bag.  And the first 25 children ages 3 to 7 who go to customer service during our event will receive a special environmental goody bag (children must be present to receive the goody bag so don’t forget to bring all the kids!).  And stop by our Earth Friendly Trivia table.  When you come by for a trivia tidbit you can register to receive a gift basket filled with $100 worth of Earth friendly cleaning products (rules and regulations apply). 

On April 18 we’ll be at the Wildlife Care Center’s Walk for Wildlife at Quiet Waters Park.  It’s a great family event and a great way to support an organization that works to preserve natural Florida wildlife. 

Then there’s Earth Day, which is April 22.  The first 500 customers to go through our registers with their purchases that day will receive a free reusable tote bag (one tote per customer please).  And at 12pm that day we’ll be having a Lunch and Learn with the Broward County Waste & Recycling department.  They’ll be talking about why it’s important to recycle your electronics and how to do so in Broward County.  The cost is $5 and you’ll receive a sandwich, salad and drink.  That’s a deal you can’t beat!

So come by the Ft. Lauderdale store and help us celebrate Earth Month the all-natural way. 

We’ll also be having a cloth diaper presentation on March 21st at 12pm for those who are interested in learning about cloth diapers but don’t know where to start or those who wish to meet other parents who are interested in cloth diapers.  The presentation will be given by local business owners Brian and Michelle Lewis and will answer all of your questions.  This presentation is free but registration is required.  To register please email the store marketing coordinator Marcea Cazel at marcea.cazel@wholefoods.com.  

We look forward to seeing you at both events!