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Schools

Whole Foods Market Helps Plant MRH School Garden

Whole Kids Foundation funded 886 school garden grants last year--one of them in Maplewood.

Last year Market started an independent and nonprofit foundation to help children eat healthly. The foundation is called "Whole Kids.

Whole Foods said in a press release that its shoppers and other partners raised over $2 million to fund its programs. It gave out 886 grants in partnership with FoodCorps to fund school gardens and with the help of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools added 1,414 salad bars to school cafeterias.

was one of the schools awarded a garden grant.

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This year Whole Kids Foundation hopes to raise $2 million to support its school programs — including school gardens, salad bars and an expansion of efforts to educate teachers about healthy eating — through its annual online and in-store fundraiser in September.

Whole Kids wants to spark conversation around food and healthier habits, so they have launched an app called Awesome Eats, a monthly downloadable eco-art project called ScrapKins and Better Bites, a monthly online nutrition resource. All three are free to download.
           
“The support Whole Kids Foundation has received in our first year, and the response we have seen from parents and schools in need of support, has been tremendous,” said Nona Evans, Whole Kids Foundation executive director.  “We truly believe kids will make good food choices if offered options, and we’ve seen it firsthand in lunchrooms across the country.  The power of curiosity creates some very adventurous eaters. It’s inspiring!”

For more information visit wholekidsfoundation.org

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