Whole Planet Foundation Poverty Is Unnecessary Project to Support 9,800 People

Whole Planet Foundation’s annual Poverty is Unnecessary Project provides opportunity for the world’s poorest people – mostly women – to take a microcredit loan and create or expand a home-based business for the opportunity to lift themselves and their family members out of poverty through their own hard work and creativity.  Whole Planet Foundation supports impoverished entrepreneurs through microfinance partners in the United States and 76 other countries around the world.

The Poverty is Unnecessary Fund raised $275,000 through members Alaffia, Cedar’s Foods, Dr. Praeger’s Purely Sensible Foods, Health-Ade Kombucha, Honest Tea, KeVita, Pact, Stacy’s, TAZO, The Republic of Tea and Tony’s Chocolonely. The Poverty is Unnecessary Day Annual Benefit & Auction celebrated the Foundation’s mission to alleviate global poverty, raised $53,515 and increased awareness through 135 partners and 475 attendees supporting Whole Planet Foundation. Given the average first loan size and average number of family members supported by each entrepreneur and her loan, these generously donated funds will be disbursed to microfinance partners around the globe, reaching 9,800 people with the chance for a better life.

Whole Planet Foundation is grateful to the 100+ volunteers, Community Engagement Committee members and the following event sponsors for working hard together to alleviate poverty: Presenting Sponsor The Coca-Cola Company's natural brands Hubert’s Lemonade, Topo Chico, Zico Coconut Water, Honest Tea, Blue Sky, Hansen’s, Simply Orange Juice, Odwalla, smartwater and vitaminwater, Platinum Sponsors Network Services Company and Yin Yang Naturals, Gold Sponsors Cedar’s Foods, Frontier Co-op, Pact and Seventh Generation, Silver Sponsors Evolve and Gallagher Basset, and Bronze Sponsors Boulette, Golden and Marin, Chobani, Cool River Consulting, Papyrus-Recycled Paper Greetings, Primal Kitchen, Sambazon, Skout and Urban Betty.  The foundation is proud to be supported by event partners Capital Printing, Fair Market, GetAway2Give, Jetter Photography, Kimo Sabe Mezcal, Moontower Rentals, Swing City Auction Company and auctioneer Phillip Pierceall, Revolution Spirits, Rock N Roll Rentals, Texas International Wine Competition and Whim Hospitality.

All proceeds from the event will fund microcredit loans for impoverished entrepreneurs around the world.

Membership in next year’s Poverty is Unnecessary Project begins in January, culminating this global effort in Whole Planet Foundation’s Annual Benefit in Austin, Texas on Friday, October 23, 2020. Prospective fund members, sponsors, and auction donors should contact joy.stoddard@wholefoods.com.