WHOLE FOODS MARKET® Supports AIDS Action with Customer-Driven Coupon Donation Program and Sponsors AIDS Walk Boston
This May, shoppers at the 15 greater Boston-area locations of Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI) can support AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts’s (AAC) HIV prevention and support services by making tax-deductible donations through a register coupon program. When customers check out at the registers, they may purchase a tax deductible $5.00 or $2.00 donation coupon. At the end of May, Whole Foods Market will present AAC with a check for the combined value of the donations.
The 15 participating stores are located in Bedford, Bellingham, Boston (Symphony), Brighton/Brookline, Cambridge (Central Square, Fresh Pond Mall and River Street), Framingham, Hingham, Newton, Newtonville, Swampscott, Wayland, Wellesley and Woburn. Find participating Whole Foods Market® store locations athttp://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/.
Proceeds from the coupons will help AIDS Action with its mission to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS by preventing new infections and optimizing the health of those already infected. AIDS Action’s successful PERY prevention program sends HIV positive speakers to local schools to speak about living with HIV and how they can take precautions for preventing infection. “Testimony from educators living with HIV about the harsh realities of their lives, along with the stories of their own youth, create a powerful backdrop for important conversations and provide an effective alternative to dusty textbooks and outdated videos,” say Sophie Godley, MPH, Deputy Director of Programs, AAC, and a daily shopper at the participating Whole Foods Market in Swampscott.
The agency conducts extensive educational and prevention outreach to those at risk of infection, as well as provides free confidential services to more than 2,500 men and women living with HIV/AIDS. AAC also runs the only statewide AIDS Hotline (1.800.235.2331) and advocates for effective science-based prevention programs. AAC is New England’s first and largest AIDS organization. More information is available atwww.aac.org.
In addition to supporting AIDS Action with their coupon donation program, Whole Foods Market is sponsoring the 21st Annual AIDS Walk Boston and Larry Kessler Run on Sunday, June 4, 2006 at the Esplanade. This year’s AIDS Walk is dedicated to AAC’s Founding Director, Larry Kessler, and will again feature a post-Walk celebration of health. Whole Foods Market is sponsoring the nutrition tent which will feature free samples of healthy food. A variety of the store’s vendors will participate and provide information on nutrition and how to make healthy choices.
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/) is the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first national certified organic grocer. In fiscal year 2005, the company had sales of $4.7 billion and currently has more than 175 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Whole Foods Market, Harry’s Farmers Market®, and Fresh & Wild® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Whole Foods Market employs more than 39,000 team members and has been ranked for eight consecutive years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by Fortune magazine.
AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts is the state’s leading provider of prevention and wellness services for people vulnerable to HIV infection. It provides services to one in six people in Massachusetts living with an HIV diagnosis. These services include HIV counseling and testing; needle exchange; mental health counseling; housing assistance; and legal services. AIDS Action works to prevent new HIV infections, support those affected by HIV, and tackle the root causes of HIV/AIDS by educating the public and health professionals about HIV prevention and care; and advocating for fair and effective HIV/AIDS policy at the city, state, and federal levels. Founded in 1983, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts is New England’s first and largest AIDS service organization. Learn more at www.aac.org.
