Whole Foods Market's® Bag Hunger Program Raises Over $46,000 for Solid Ground During 2013

SEATTLE, April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Whole Foods Market announced today a $46,784 donation to Solid Ground, a Seattle-based organization with a mission to build a community to end poverty. Throughout 2013, shoppers who visited any of the six Seattle-area Whole Foods Market stores had an opportunity to participate in the Bag Hunger program, with a cash donation to Solid Ground at the checkout registers.

Solid Ground will direct the funds to support its Cooking Matters program. Classes offered in more than 65 locations throughout Greater Seattle and Washington State focus on educating low-income individuals on healthy cooking skills, general nutrition education and budgeting.

"Whole Foods Market has worked in partnership with Solid Ground for more than six years and we love the opportunity to share this organization's great work with our shoppers," said Joe Rogoff, Regional President at Whole Foods Market Pacific Northwest. "As a company, we want to find ways to create greater access to healthy eating education, and we appreciate the work Solid Ground does every day to make this a reality. "

"We are grateful for this donation from Whole Foods Market and its compassionate community of shoppers. It is an investment that will help improve nutrition among vulnerable people, thereby addressing an important aspect of poverty in our community," said Gordon McHenry, Jr., President & CEO of Solid Ground.

For more information on Whole Foods Market's community giving efforts, please visit: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/caring-communities/community-giving. Or, to learn more about Solid Ground, visit: http://www.solid-ground.org/Pages/Default.aspx.

About Whole Foods Market^®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America's first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named "America's Healthiest Grocery Store" by Health magazine. The company's motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet"™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company's more than 69,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in America by FORTUNE magazine for 15 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2011, the company had sales of more than $10 billion and currently has more than 325 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

About Solid Ground
Each year more than 55,000 King County residents come to Solid Ground to address urgent food, housing and transportation needs, and build skills to overcome poverty and thrive. Through 40 years of innovation, partnership and action, Solid Ground has helped create many of our community's most effective anti-poverty programs, including Cooking Matters healthy cooking and nutrition education classes.

SOURCE Whole Foods Market