Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation Awards $2.2 Million to Nonprofits

PHOENIX, Oct. 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation today announced it will award $2.2 million to nonprofit organizations that specialize in promoting health and nutrition education. Created in 2015, the Foundation raises funds through company and team member contributions, vendor partnerships and customer support, and identifies non-profits that reflect the company’s brand purpose of inspiring healthy living for all.

“Sprouts is proud to partner with organizations that share our mission to inspire, educate and empower every person to live a healthier life. We’re creating lasting change in our local communities by collaborating on programs like nutrition curriculum for elementary school students and urban gardening projects in neighborhoods with limited access to fresh, affordable produce,” said Lyndsey Waugh, executive director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation.

As part of this year’s donations, the Foundation has committed $875,000 in multi-year support of organizations that align with its commitment to empowering children to make healthier food choices through nutrition education and hands-on learning. The Foundation’s support provides these partners with the necessary funding to scale up, expand and replicate programs that make a long-lasting impact in their community. Newly named partners include:

• Denver Urban Gardens – A pioneer in community gardening, Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) operates a network of 165 neighborhood and school-based gardens. The Foundation’s $500,000 investment in DUG will create 10 new gardens and expand the organization’s Youth Farm Stand and teacher training programs.
• Soil Born Farms – An urban agriculture and education project, Soil Born Farms empowers youth and adults in the Sacramento, Calif. area to discover local food systems and practice healthy living. The Foundation’s $225,000 investment will fund Grow Together, the nonprofit’s school gardening program, at 10 elementary school sites.
• Spaces of Opportunity – Located in south Phoenix, Ariz., Spaces of Opportunity will transform an 18-acre piece of land from a food desert to a food oasis, providing low-income families and community members access to fresh, affordable produce. The Foundation’s $150,000 investment will help fund the farm’s community outreach and youth education programs.

In December, the Foundation will reach a milestone with existing partner REAL School Gardens, which builds learning gardens in low-income schools that are used as a hands-on teaching tool. Support from the Foundation is allowing REAL School Gardens to build 13 new learning gardens, expand to the Georgia and Tennessee markets and develop a multi-subject curriculum that engages students in STEM education principals using food and nutrition topics.

This month, the Foundation will award $430,000 in Neighborhood Grants to 58 local organizations across the 15 states in which Sprouts operates. These grants are funded through money raised by the Foundation and the support of Sprouts customers through in-store campaigns.

2017 Neighborhood Grant Recipients

Alabama

• C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation
• Alabama Childhood Food Solutions, Inc.
• The Foundation Ministries, Inc.

Arizona

• Educational Enrichment Foundation, Inc.
• Flagstaff Medical Center
• Halle Heart Children’s Museum
• First Place AZ
• Esperanca, Inc.
• United Food Bank

California (North)

• The Fit Kids Foundation
• Bay Area Community Services
• Runnin’ for Rhett
• Food Bank of Santa Barbara County
• United Way of Stanislaus County

California (South)

• Garden School Foundation Inc.
• Serving Kids Hope
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego
• Feeding America
• Interfaith Community Services
• Orangewood Foundation
• East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice

California (Statewide)

• Education Outside

Colorado

• Loveland Youth Gardeners
• Special Kids Special Families, Inc.
• Girls on the Run of the Rockies
• Care and Share Inc.
• LiveWell Colorado
• Sprout City Farms, Inc.

Florida

• Sweetwater Community Farm
• YMCA of the Suncoast

Georgia

• Jewish Family & Career Services
• enAble of Georgia
• Atlanta Children’s Shelter
• Captain Planet Foundation
• Wylde Center

Kansas

• Lawrence Community Food Alliance (Sunrise Project)
• Johnson County Park & Recreation Foundation

Missouri

• Kansas City Community Gardens, Inc.
• Harvesters – The Community Network
• Heart of America Indian Center

Nevada

• Nevada Paralyzed Veterans of America
• St. Jude’s Ranch for Children – Nevada Region, Inc.

New Mexico

• El Caldito
• Rio Grande Food Project

North Carolina

• YMCA of the Triangle
• The Family Violence Prevention Center, Inc. (InterAct)

Oklahoma

• A New Leaf
• Center for Children and Families, Inc.
• Owasso Community Resources, Inc.

Tennessee

• Girls Incorporated of Memphis
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Memphis
• Domestic Violence Program, Inc.

Texas

• Houston Parks Board
• Martinez Street Women’s Center
• Common Threads
• Recipe for Success Foundation

Utah:

• The Green Urban Lunch Box
• Utah Center for community Nutrition

The 2017 Neighborhood Grant application was available from May through August. For details on next year’s application, visit sprouts.com/neighborhoodgrants.

The remaining Foundation funds are being allocated across markets to health and wellness related causes such as Autism Speaks, Vitamin Angels and more. More information on the Foundation may be found at sprouts.com/foundation.

About Sprouts Farmers Market
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. specializes in fresh, natural and organic products at prices that appeal to everyday grocery shoppers. Based on the belief that healthy food should be affordable, Sprouts’ welcoming environment and knowledgeable team members continue to drive its growth. Sprouts offers a complete shopping experience that includes an array of fresh produce in the heart of the store, a deli with prepared entrees and side dishes, The Butcher Shop, The Fish Market, an expansive vitamins and supplements department and more. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Sprouts employs more than 27,000 team members and operates more than 280 stores in 15 states from coast to coast. For more information, visit sprouts.com or @sproutsfm on Twitter.

Contact: media@sprouts.com, 602-682-1536