What if $200 was all it took to change a life?

by sandysprings, February 27, 2010 | Permalink

That’s the amazing thing about the Whole Planet Foundation - $200 TRULY CAN CHANGE A LIFE! 

www.wholeplanetfoundation.org

This amazing organization is dedicated to providing microloans to mostly women entrepreneurs around the world.  What is a microloan?  It is an interest free ”mini-loan,” just enough capital to get a business started, make important upgrades or hire employees. 

The repayment rate is 99% - a statistic that is unheard of in any other lending institution!  These women receive a small loan, they make the most of it, and then they pay it back!  And in the meantime they get the boost they need to pull themselves, their family - and quite often their community - out of poverty.

This month, we are proud to host two very special events to raise funds for Whole Planet Foundation.  The first, and Oscar Party, will be held on March 5th from 6pm - 9pm.  For a low ticket price ($5) you’ll be wined and dined like a true celebrity, walk away with a “swag bag” of sustainably produced goodies, and make a difference in someone else’s life at the same time!  The second event, a Silent Auction, will be held on March 28th from 12pm - 4pm.  This is an opportunity for our Team Members to showcase thier amazing talents by auctioning of a variety of goods and services.  You get awesome stuff at a great price and we get to donate to a cause (Whole Planet Foundation) that is important to us.  All proceeds from both events will be donated to Whole Planet Foundation.

If you don’t attend an event you can donate any amount at our registers, or online at www.wholeplanetfoundation.org.  Either way, take some time this month to help us change some lives.

This is my year to . . .

by sandysprings, January 4, 2010 | Permalink

It’s no secret that January is the season for resolutions.  This is your year - what will you make of it?

Share your resolutions with us at www.facebook.com/wholefoods and you could win a prize! 

Also this January, we are supporting three great organizations with donations of $10,000 each.  Facebook users can pitch in too.  The organization that receives the most support will receive an additional donation from us!  Find out more at http://apps.facebook.com/thisismyyearto/

Holiday Food Memories

by sandysprings, December 1, 2009 | Permalink

There are so many things about the holiday season that we look forward to.  Memories and nostalgia are inevitable - and if you’re anything like me, many of those memories revolve around food.  The smells, the flavors, the colors and most of all the magical effect that food has to bring us together.  Around the table, in front of the fire, by the tree.  Whever we are we are talking, laughing, making memories and . . . eating!

One of my food favorite memories is the vegetable soup that my grandmother ALWAYS has waiting for us when we arrive.  After a long 7-hour car ride, nothing comforts your stomach or your soul like a bowl of hot vegetable soup.  Slow cooked meat, hand-cut vegetables and a heaping cup of love.

I’d love to hear your favorite food memory - share it here!

Happy Holidays and Happy Eating!

Help Georgia’s flooded farms

by sandysprings, October 27, 2009 | Permalink

Last Wednesday, October 21st Whole Foods Market, Sandy Springs, along with Whole Foods Markets and Harry’s Farmers Markets across Atlanta, held a 5% Day to raise funds for the Georgia Flooded Farms Relief Fund.  It was a great day, and with your help we raised $23,939!  Thanks so much to everyone who came out and shopped with us - your support of local farmers really makes a difference.

To read more, visit our national blog http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/help-flooded-georgia-farmers/

DON’T FORGET TO DONATE YOUR DIME!  For the rest of the month, you can choose to donate your $.10 bag refund to the Georgia Flooded Farms Relief Fund - every little bit helps!

Whole Foods Market sponsors a farmers market to help Sandy Springs residents Eat FRESH, Eat LOCAL

by sandysprings, October 2, 2009 | Permalink

Last weekend (September 26-27) we had the honor of sponsoring the Georgia Made, Georgia Grown Market at the Sandy Springs festival.  The Market was set up like a farmer’s market, inside the big top tent, and we had some of Georgia’s best local farmers and producers on hand to sample and sell their products.

We had farmers and producers of all sorts: Grass-fed beef, all-natural pork, jams, sauces, organic baby food, heirloom tomatoes, homemade pies, hand-made soaps, local apples - you name it.  It’s amazing to think what a wide range of products are either grown or made right in our own backyard.

What a joy to see so many people sharing their vision and passion with shoppers.  When you realize just how much time and love these farmers put into what they do, it’s an easy choice - buy fresh, buy LOCAL, support your neighbors!

I hope we’ll be able to sponsor more of these markets in the future.  Such a fun and rewarding way to spend a weekend, I feel guilty even calling it “work”!

LOCAL Food and Wine Tasting a big success

by sandysprings, July 24, 2009 | Permalink

Thanks so much to all of our customers, local chefs, local producers, local wineries and local breweries who made our Farm-to-Table tasting a great success!

Talk about plenty of food!  We started with appetizers: hand-made ravioli from Via Elisa, mini bruschetta from Sweetwater Growers.  Next, the entrees from our GREAT local chefs: Persian Chicken with Mixed Greens (from Rumi’s Kitchen), Jerk Chicken and Shrimp Pasta (from Chef Rob’s Caribbean Cafe) and BBQ Brisket Sandwiches (from 5 Seasons Brewery).  Now wash it all down with beer from Sweetwater Brewery and wines from Still Pond Wines and Wolf Mountain Vineyards and man, what a feast!

At Whole Foods Market we encourage our customers to “Eat LOCAL” and this event gave us the chance to show just how delicious that can be!  We urge you to seek out locally and regionally grown products.  Not only will you enjoy the fresh, great tasting product, but you will support the local economy at the same time.  To learn more about our commitment to LOCAL visit http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/locally-grown/index.php.

See the stories behind your food - check out our farm-to-market blogs! http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/category/farm-to-market/

What Nurtures You?

by sandysprings, May 13, 2009 | Permalink

Leading up to Mother’s Day we asked moms to let us know what their favorite Whole Foods Market product was and why.  We wanted to learn what nurtures our customers, what makes them feel healthy and vibrant.  Many thanks to everyone who responded - we got lots of great entries!  The most popular response was organic fruits and vegetables because “I feel great when I have healthy food in my house and in my body.”  One mom responded that she loves our 365 brand products because she can get “organic at a great price” and another mom loves our organic pastas.  Why?  Because “the kids love it” and we all know when the kids are happy, mom can relax too!  With busy lives and hectic schedules, it is important that we all find ways to nurture ourselves each day.  We are proud and happy to help you do that and would love to hear from our online community - what nurtures you?

Local Chefs Team up to Fight Poverty Around the World

by sandysprings, April 6, 2009 | Permalink

Saturday, March 28th was an exciting day for Whole Foods Market in Sandy Springs, GA.  It was our first farm-to-table event where local chefs teamed up to raise money for Whole Planet Foundation.  Each chef had a “secret ingredient” that came directly from either a microloan recipient or a Supplier Alliance Partner - one of our suppliers that makes a global commitment to source their products from microloan recipients and their communities.

Unfortunately, we did have a bit of rain - well more like severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings - so we moved the event from our parking lot into our store, but we still had a great turnout and were able to raise a substantial amount for Whole Planet Foundation.  These funds will go DIRECTLY to lending agencies throughout the world that will loan the money to entrepreneurs so that they can pull themselves, their families and their communities out of poverty!

Keep a lookout for more of these farm-to-table events.  As fresh, local produce starts rolling in we will have tasting events to bring you the very best of the season!