Whole Foods Market(R) Sets Up Haitian Earthquake Relief Drive

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Whole Foods Market, a leader in natural and organic foods, announced today that its 289 stores in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom have set up an easy way for shoppers to make donations to help the people of Haiti who have been devastated by the recent earthquake.  Shoppers can give any amount at the checkouts to directly support several different relief organizations.

In addition, the company has created a special "Haitian Fund" to support Whole Foods Market Team Members who have been affected by the earthquake.

"We have many Team Members from Haiti, and together we are supporting them by taking these steps," said Walter Robb, co-president and chief operating officer at Whole Foods Market. "We're also setting up donation boxes in employee areas in stores, facilities and offices."

Whole Foods Market Team Members across different regions are taking the initiative to help in a number of ways, from collecting clothes and running food drives to putting on fundraising dinners in the stores. The company is also looking into other ways to help, including working with vendors to deliver additional food and water to the country, and researching whether it can help Team Member volunteers participate in relief efforts which are going to be needed for the months to come.

Through Jan. 31, shoppers can conveniently make donations at Whole Foods Market's registers. Shoppers can contribute $1, $2, $5, $10, or any designated amount to each store's selected non-profit relief organizations.  These include:

• AmeriCares – The Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest and Southern Pacific regions will give to AmeriCares, a disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that provides immediate response to those in need of emergency medical treatment.
• Food for the Poor - The Florida and Southwest regions will give to this Miami-based organization with an infrastructure in Haiti. It is the largest international relief organization in the United States.
• American Red Cross - The Northern California, Rocky Mountain and South regions will give to the Red Cross, an emergency response organization that aids victims of devastating natural disasters.
• Partners in Health – The North Atlantic region, home to the highest concentration of Haitians in the U.S., will give to this Boston-based organization which brings modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world.
• Doctors Without Borders – Toronto-area stores will give to Doctors Without Borders, an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries.
• Action Against Hunger – Whole Foods Market's United Kingdom stores will give to this organization, which has mounted an emergency response to provide clean water, sanitation equipment and emergency supplies for survivors.

Whole Planet Foundation, the company's non-profit organization that helps developing countries through microfinance, works with Fonkoze, its trusted on-the-ground partner in Haiti. Fonkoze works to meet the needs of impoverished Haitians and help them to recover from this devastating disaster. Fonkoze's Earthquake News page details the most current information on Fonkoze and their microcredit clients and explains how to designate a donation for earthquake relief.

About Whole Foods Market®

Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com)(Nasdaq: WFMI), is a leader in the natural and organic foods industry and America's first national certified organic grocer and was named "America's Healthiest Grocery Store" by Health magazine. The company motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet"™ capture its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to its more than 50,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in America by FORTUNE magazine for 12 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2009, the company had sales of $8 billion and currently has 289 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

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SOURCE Whole Foods Market