By Stacy N. Hackett
Posted: July 10, 2008 2 a.m. EDT
Several animal welfare organizations in Austin, Texas, all of which participate in the ASPCA Mission: Orange program, will benefit from a $15,719 gift from Whole Foods Market. The funds were raised during the market’s Community Giving Day on June 24. The groups receiving funds include the Austin Humane Society, Emancipet and the Animal Trustees of Austin.
“Whole Foods Market’s generosity will go a long way in helping provide positive outcomes for Austin’s at-risk pets and the organizations that help them most,” said Ed Sayres, ASPCA president and CEO. “Together, these organizations are working to make life better for pets by providing, among other things, free and low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary services, adoption services, a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for feral cats, foster care, educating the community about responsible pet ownership and prevention of cruelty to animals.”
Whole Foods Market conducts a Community Giving Day once per quarter. During the designated day, the market gives a percentage of store sales to a designated community partner. Community Giving Day recipients are chosen by each store’s marketing and leadership teams based on the specific community’s needs at that time, according to Elizabeth Leader Smith, Whole Foods Market/Austin community relations coordinator.
“Joining the ASPCA’s Mission: Orange Austin partners was not only an opportunity to raise much needed funds, but also to increase awareness about the campaign’s mission and potential impact in Austin,” she said. “At Whole Foods Market, we believe that corporations, as well as individuals, must be good tenants of the planet, and we feel it is our responsibility to give back to our communities in meaningful ways.”