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Not Just a 'Green' Fundraiser |
By Kelsie Evans, Fundraising Program Coordinator
“Going green” has become a popular phrase lately. Every day we hear new suggestions for greening our lives - from our homes to our eating habits. For the eco-conscious parent, school fundraising season can be in direct opposition to your efforts toward raising healthy, conscientious children. From gift wrap to tubs of frozen cookie dough to plastic kitchen gadgets, these programs don’t offer much in the way of minimizing our impact on the environment.
But don’t let the prevalence of Sally Foster™ and Reader’s Digest™ fundraisers fool you – you can support your school without compromising your values. Equal Exchange’s Fair Trade fundraiser offers Fair Trade and organic coffee, tea, chocolate and healthy snacks, ensuring both the farmers and the environment are treated with fairness and respect. Through small-scale, organic farming practices, and reforestation and conservation efforts, farmers are caring for their land and surrounding environments.
While other “green” fundraising programs have sprung up in the past few months, Equal Exchange’s Fundraising Program is not only environmentally-friendly, but also socially responsible and educational. The program helps kids connect with their food sources and to feel empowered to make a positive difference in the world through everyday actions. Over the past two years, we’ve enjoyed visiting classrooms and sharing with children the values of Fair Trade - caring for the farmers who grow foods we enjoy, as well as the environment in which it is grown - since these issues resonate with kids. Equal Exchange even provides a curriculum and pen pal exchange as tools to engage students in these issues.
With a Fair Trade fundraising program offering a healthy, sustainable way to support schools, environmentally-savvy parents don’t have to dread the fundraising catalogs that come home at the start of a new school year. And let’s not forget, it tastes good, too!
An Equal Exchange Fundraiser:
- Provides you with delicious organic foods.
- Helps your local school or organization reach their fundraising goals.
- Supports sustainable farming methods that help cool the planet.
- Supports our farmer partners’ effort to strengthen their own communities, from renovating classrooms to financing microloans for women.
- Fosters a food system that is direct, transparent and empowers small-scale farmers.
Request an Info Packet about Equal Exchange fundraising!
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