Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/195987
EDITOR'S LETTER Combining Business and Benevolence T his issue marks our annual "Giving Back: 5 Companies Making a Difference" feature. While it's one of our favorite articles to research, it's also one of the more challenging. There simply isn't enough room in one feature to shine a spotlight on all the philanthropic works the specialty food trade takes on each year. Individuals throw their support—whether in the form of money, time, education or outreach—behind efforts as diverse as local hunger relief to global poverty alleviation. The causes can be deeply personal, from honoring a lost family member or friend, to more community-building in nature, such as cleaning up the neighborhood. In addition to the companies we profile in our feature, here are a few more noteworthy efforts: • Kara's Cupcakes creates a charitable cupcake each month, with proceeds going to nonprofits that the employees choose. For example, every September, Kara's dedicates proceeds to pediatric cancer in honor of an employee's daughter who died from lung cancer at age 3. • RiceSelect partners with Stop Hunger Now, an international organization that coordinates food-aid donations worldwide. Each year, RiceSelect hosts a meal-packing event at its facility; this year 130 employees packed 40,000 meals, plus the company donated thousands of pounds of rice. Yearround efforts include displaying Stop Hunger Now's logo and website on product lid labels to help get the word out to consumers. • Cause, a Washington D.C. restaurant, coined the term "philanthropub" when it opened in 2012. After the restaurant pays expenses and salaries, remaining profits go to charities that have been identified by Cause's advisory board, Agora Partnerships, Common Good City Farm, Higher Achievement and Martha's Table. Diners vote for their choice when they pay their bill. • Onehope Wine expanded its wine collection with a pinot noir, Pinot for Paws, which supports ASPCA programs. • Bi-Rite Market creates volunteer activities for staff to boost morale, extend its reach and strengthen community partnerships. Among activities are monthly park clean-ups and serving holiday meals to the critically ill. • Karam Food supports the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation in honor of a high-school classmate of the owner's daughter, who committed suicide two years ago due to the disorder. • Saffron Road joined a select group who has donated more than $10,000 to Whole Planet Foundation. The Whole Foods Market's foundation provides impoverished people around the world with microcredit, small loans usually less than $300, that allow them to fund their own business and have a chance to overcome poverty. If you want to continue to be impressed, turn to our Giving Back feature on p. 18 to read about more good works from the specialty food trade. And, please continue to tell us about your own philanthropic endeavors so we can share them through our media platforms. Denise Purcell Editor, Specialty Food Magazine dpurcell@specialtyfood.com facebook.com/craftcarejoy HAVE A COMMENT? Visit specialtyfood.com/dpurcell/benevolence NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 1