On Wednesday, September 10, 2008, Whole Foods on Ponce canceled a 5% Day* fundraiser to support an Earn-A-Bike program at the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless because the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance threatened to boycott the store. In addition to the financial award, the Task Force was invited to set up a table in the store to pass out literature, talk with customers and promote the program and the organization’s mission. However on the morning of the designated 5% Day, Whole Foods management asked Task Force representatives to leave the store only two hours after they had arrived. Promotional signs and banners were removed from the store, and the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance was assured that Whole Foods was cancelling its fundraising efforts for the organization.
In response to this decision, many friends and supporters of the Task Force voiced their disappointment with Whole Foods, and Whole Foods heard our friends. Friday afternoon, Whole Foods contacted the Task Force with this statement:
“We regret that the cancellation of our 5% Day fundraiser has caused some unrest within the Midtown community. Team members at the Midtown store voted for the Earn-a-Bike Program, a community partnership between the SoPo Bicycle Cooperative and the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless. Whole Foods Market is honoring its commitment by donating $3,500 to the Earn-a-Bike program, and honoring the commitment to our team members, who feel very strongly about continuing with a donation.”
Thank you, Whole Foods, for honoring your pledge to support our program.
Please take a moment and thank Whole Foods for deciding to keep their commitment of support. You can help by calling and emailing to remind them that the Task Force for the Homeless is, indeed, worthy of their support.
Contact: Lesley Sifford at Whole Foods
lesley.sifford@wholefoods.com
404-853-1681
*On a designated 5% day, 5% of store sales are set aside and donated to a
local nonprofit.
