During the program Change for Change, from Monday, July 5, 2010 through Sunday, September 26, 2010, customers who bring their own shopping bags to the Whole Foods Market in Sarasota can choose to donate a refund of 10 cents per bag to Save Our Seabirds or the Whole Planet Foundation.
Save Our Seabirds mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release as many birds as possible and to incorporate non-releasable birds as educational tools and surrogate parents. They are committed to educating the public of the problems our wildlife has to endure and make suggestions on how to mitigate them. The Oiled Wildlife Response Program trains volunteers to respond to an oil spill, initiate the proper procedures to rescue, triage and maintain protocol to successfully release as many birds as possible back to the wild. For more information, visit www.saveourseabirds.org.
Change for Change, instituted at the Sarasota Whole Foods Market on April 12, 2010, is a program designed to encourage customers to reuse their shopping bags. Each quarter, one local charity is chosen to be one of the beneficiaries opposite the Whole Planet Foundation, which is always included as an option. The store chose the Humane Society of Sarasota County to be the first local charity to benefit from the program (April 12 – July 4, 2010) and has so far raised over $600 for the non-profit organization.
The store is currently accepting applications for the next three month period, which begins September 27, 2010. Non-profit organizations interested can apply by calling the store or picking up an application at the store’s customer service desk.
Whole Foods Market in downtown Sarasota is located at 1451 1st St, 941-955-8500
