Brazil - Whole Planet Foundation

WHOLE FOODS MARKET®
TEAM MEMBER VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
2014 BRAZIL SUMMARY & IMPACT REPORT
WHOLE FOODS MARKET®
TEAM MEMBER VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Whole Planet Foundation® (WPF) funds microlending
Through the WFM Team Member Volunteer Program,
programs in Brazil where Sambazon sources açaí to
WFM gives Team Members the unique opportunity to
convert from fruit to pulp to juices and sorbets which
travel abroad with WPF to, learn about WPF and meet
are sold in Whole Foods Market® (WFM) stores. WPF
microcredit clients, witnessing the transformative
is a WFM non-profit whose mission is to alleviate
power of microcredit, see where and how WFM
poverty by funding microlending programs where WFM
products are grown, provide community service,
sources products as a way to alleviate poverty and
experience and learn from other cultures and challenge
give back to our global communities.
themselves by exploring exciting countries around the
globe.
WPF microlending partner
Banco do Povo
in São Paulo
Community service project
and WFM supplier partner
Sambazon
near Macapá
Optional trip to
Iguassu Falls
WFM TEAM MEMBER VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
BRAZIL
2014 BRAZIL SUMMARY TRIP 1
Nine WFM Team Member Volunteers traveled to Brazil to volunteer in Amapá, near Macapá, in the
communities where Sambazon sources açaí. They learned about the production of açaí from fruit to
pulp, for juices and sorbets.
WFM funded community service projects including the construction of bathrooms for a new school,
construction and painting of classroom walls and murals in the school, community service at a
hospitality home for the homeless, aged and people with disabilities and the building of raised garden
beds to give community members access to fresh produce above the rising tides of the Amazon River.
The volunteers also helped distribute and teach 25 families how to use water filtration systems, giving
them easier access to fresh water. The filters were distributed to families in need in Macapá, as well as
the local people of Bilique, deep in the Amazon jungle.
TEAM
September 13 - 25, 2014
GROUP COORDINATOR
Scott Nemeth
Jose Claudio (Florida Biscayne)
BRAZIL GUIDES
Susanna Mondragon (Florida Biscayne)
Rosana Ribeiro
Kelly Mayer (Global)
Thomas Hecke
Perri Kramer (Northern California Potrero Hill)
Scott Nemeth
Evan Crowley (Northeast Montclair)
Miguel Huaut
Pheeraphat Rattanaphan (Northeast White Plains)
Abibou Thioune (Pacific Northwest Laurelhurst)
Julia Hickman (Rocky Mountain India School Plaza)
Kristyn M. Kellner (Rocky Mountain Ideal)
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Scott Nemeth
WFM TEAM MEMBER
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
MANAGER
Genie Bolduc
2014 BRAZIL TRIP 1 ITINERARY
SEPTEMBER 13 - 25
TRIP 1 ITINERARY- 2 WEEKS
Day 1 Saturday, September 13 - São Paulo arrival
Day 2 Sunday, September 14 - São Paulo sightseeing
Day 3 Monday, September 15 - São Paulo - visit with WPF microlending partner Banco do Povo
Day 4 Tuesday, September 16 - São Paulo to Macapá flight
Day 5 Wednesday, September 17- Macapá - Sambazon visit
Day 6 Thursday, September 18 - Macapá BBQ
Day 7 Friday, September 19 - Macapá sightseeing
Day 8 Saturday, September 20 - Amazon community service
Day 9 Sunday, September 21 - Amazon community service
Day 10 Monday, September 22 - Amazon community service
Day 11 Tuesday, September 23 - Amazon community service
Day 12 Saturday, September 24 - Amazon community service
Day 13 Thursday, September 25 - Macapá departure
2014 BRAZIL SUMMARY TRIP 2
Eight WFM Team Member Volunteers traveled to Brazil to volunteer in Amapá, near Macapá in the
communities where Sambazon sources açaí. They learned about the production of açaí from fruit to
pulp, for juices and sorbets.
WFM funded community service projects including the construction of bathrooms for a new school,
construction and painting of classroom walls and murals in the school, community service work at a
hospitality home for the homeless, aged and people with disabilities and the building of raised garden
beds to give community members access to fresh produce above the rising tides of the Amazon River .
The Team Members also helped distribute, and teach 50 families how to use, water filtration systems to
give them easier access to fresh water. The filters were distributed to families in need in Macapá as
well as the local people of Bilique, deep in the Amazon jungle.
GROUP COORDINATOR
Scott Nemeth
TEAM TRIP 2 - 2 WEEKS
September 29 - October 11, 2014
Veronica L. Melching (Mid-Atlantic, Jenkintown store)
Janelle Verhoek (Northern California, Walnut Creek store)
Jitendra Modha (Northern California, Reno store)
Melanie Judge (Rocky Mountain, Colorado Blvd store)
BRAZIL GUIDES
Rosana Ribeiro
Thomas Hecke
Scott Nemeth
Miguel Huaut
Sam Hougen (Rocky Mountain, Colorado Blvd store)
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Christina Lawson (Southern Pacific, Venice store)
Scott Nemeth
Andreas Nowag (Southwest, Oklahoma City store)
Cody Thomas (Southwest, Montrose store)
WFM TEAM MEMBER
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
MANAGER
Genie Bolduc
2014 BRAZIL TRIP 2 ITINERARY
SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 15, 2014
TRIP 2 ITINERARY- 3 WEEKS
Day 1 Monday, September 29 - São Paulo arrival
Day 2 Tuesday, September 30 - São Paulo sightseeing
Day 3 Wednesday, October 1 - São Paulo - visit with WPF microlending partner Banco do Povo
Day 4 Thursday, October 2 - São Paulo - Macapá Flight
Day 5 Friday, October 3 - Macapá Sambazon visit
Day 6 Saturday, October 4 - Macapá BBQ
Day 7 Sunday, October 5 - Macapá sightseeing
Day 8 Saturday, October 6 - Amazon Community Service
Day 9 Sunday, October 7 - Amazon Community Service
Day 10 Monday, October 8 - Amazon Community Service
Day 11 Tuesday, October 9 - Amazon Community Service
Day 12 Wednesday, October 10 - Amazon Community Service
Day 13 Saturday. October 11 - Macapá departure
Meeting and buying products from microcredit clients
THE EXPERIENCE
Sleeping in hammocks
Jungle tour
Playing soccer
Açaí
Building the school
Climbing a tree to harvest açaí
FOOD
Fresh fruit is everywhere in
Brazil and many of the fruits
are different than any Team
Members may have seen or
tasted before. The
volunteers were served
buffets with a huge variety
of foods at churrascarias as
well as delicious meals
prepared for them by
community members full of
local delicacies.
CULTURE
With a culture of dance
and carnival, the Amazon
River, and vast areas of
jungle full of resources,
Brazil has much to offer
visitors that they may
have never seen before.
WILDLIFE
The Amazon River and
jungle in Brazil provide the
opportunity to see many
different exotic birds as
well as one of the biggest
waterfalls in the world.
Banco do Povo
WHOLE PLANET FOUNDATION MICROLENDING PARTNER
BANCO DO POVO
74%
2,289
97.17%
FEMALE
CLIENTS
WPF SUPPORTED
CLIENTS 9/30/2014
REPAYMENT
RATE
History:
difficult to access funds necessary for growth. With WPF
Banco do Povo Crédito Solidário (BPCS) began operations
they have been able to successfully leverage WPF funding
in 1999 as a nonprofit organization offering microcredit
at a rate of 3:1.
through solidarity group lending methodologies focused on
•
Total clients at as of November 2014: 4,053
the poorest segment of the population. BPCS has a strong
•
Total WPF Authorized Grants: $ 900,00
social mission of poverty alleviation and is one of the only
•
Total WPF Funds Disbursed to Brazil: $ 900,000
organizations in southern Brazil offering collateral free
solidarity group loans in the urban areas of Santo Andre São
Banco do Povo’s Approach:
Paulo. BPCS has grown slowly and steadily through the
BPCS operates in the urban and peri urban areas around
years reaching financial sustainability for the first time in
São Paulo, specifically the area of Santo Andre. They are
2011 with about 2,000 clients. With WPF’s support, BPCS
one of the only organizations successfully implementing a
hopes to continue to grow to 10,000 clients within the next
collateral free solidarity lending methodology in a country
three years.
dominated by large commercial banks and easy access to
credit. Nevertheless, BPCS differentiates itself through the
WPF Partnership:
strong social mission, customer service and focus on access
Whole Planet Foundation began funding BPCS with a grant
to quality financial services to those who need it most.
of $300,000 to reach 685 new clients. In 2013 WPF
BPCS borrowers carry out activities in small enterprise,
authorized a secondary grant of $600,000 to reach 1,500
mostly commercial activities such as small stores, running a
new clients all of which has been disbursed in 2014.
stand in a local market, or small home based businesses
BPCS is a small organization and therefore it has been
like carpentry or beauty salons.
MEETING BANCO DO POVO CLIENTS
MEETING BANCO DO POVO STAFF
Team Members visited individual microcredit clients at
Team Members met staff of BPCS who shared
their businesses where they got to ask questions and
methodology, successes and challenges as well as
learn about the clients’ successes and challenges.
future plans.
MEETING LOAN RECIPIENTS
VISITING MICROENTREPRENEURS
Volunteers met several microloan recipients in São Paolo.
Team Members purchased goods from this microcredit
client at her small shop in the favelas of São Paulo.
BANCO DO POVO BRANCH OFFICE
MICROCREDIT CLIENT BUSINESSES
Team Members got to see the simple branch office
Team Members pose for a quick photo with a
where operations for helping impoverished people in
microcredit client of Banco do Povo at her business.
the favelas of São Paulo begins.
Sambazon
SAMBAZON WHOLE FOODS MARKET SUPPLIER PARTNER
A letter from CEO and co-founder of Sambazon:
As surfers growing up in Southern California, we were
raised to believe that caring for our own health and
happiness is just as important as caring for that of our
community and our planet. This philosophy — of
understanding that we are all connected — has always
made sense with how we want to live our lives. It’s part of
our role and our responsibility to seek a common
wellbeing that lets us love how we live and live how we
love.
So, when I ventured to Brazil in 1999 with my buddy Ed
(and later with my brother, Jeremy), we were in search of
waves, but ended up falling in love with Brazil and its
positive energy. We were overwhelmed by its scenery, its
flavors, its people and its organic approach to health and
vitality. From that first bowl full of the Amazon superfood
açaí, we realized these superfoods were very special …
and we knew from the start that we had to find a way to
share them with the world in a way that mattered, and
added value to everyone involved.
We started Sambazon based on a philosophy called the
Triple Bottom Line, which not only measures success
economically, but also socially and environmentally.
When a Triple Bottom Line business makes a profit, it’s a
positive experience for everything and everyone involved,
from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest which provides
amazing superfoods and botanicals, to the farmers who
work the land and earn a healthy living, to our employees
who translate this Amazon magic into next level products;
and finally, to our customers who ultimately use these
delicious powers to help further their own health and
wellness missions. We feel that this is an awesome
model of how businesses should operate and that with
enough of them out there, then capitalism, in fact, can be
a positive force for change and a major contributor to a
sustainable future.
From this vision, we created SAMBAZON’S PRINCIPLES
OF PURPLE LOVE – a manifesto guiding us to always:
1. Foster a healthy disregard for the impossible.
2. Be fiercely committed to Sustainability + all things
Organic/Non-GMO.
3. Share Superfoods that energize the Body + Soul.
4. Live an active lifestyle that’s centered around
vibrant Health + Wellness.
5. Be honest, upful, playful, open, curious, driven
and humble.
6. Trust in “One Tribe. One Vibe.” by being earnest,
approachable and radically inclusive of all.
7. Measure success through a Triple Bottom Line:
Social + Environmental + Economic.
We make healthy products with full integrity that promote
a better you – the kind of you that lives better, works
better, feels better and inspires the world to be a better
plaçaí. That’s why we are organic, we believe in nonGMO and we support fair trade. It’s the reason we craft
our recipes with superfood ingredients that provide epic
flavors and amazing health benefits. Ingredients like
Açaírola Cherry to boost your immune system, Yerba
Mate & Guarana for energy, and protein from whole food,
vegan sources instead of processed isolates. The food
we eat makes our minds bright, keeps our spirits high and
fills our hearts with so much purple love we just gotta
share.
Obrigado,
Ryan Black
Sambazon CEO & Co-Founder
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Team Members volunteered with Sambazon and community
members where Sambazon sources açaí to make the fruit pulp,
juices and sorbets that they sell in WFM stores. More important
than the community service work that the Team Member
volunteers performed are the relationships that they are building
with the very people in global communities who help create
prosperity in Whole Foods Market stores for Team Members and
our local communities. These relationships create lasting
impressions on the Team Members and the people they meet.
WATER
SCHOOLS
LEARNING
The Whole Foods Market Team
Contributing to local schools is a
Team Members learned about the
Member Volunteer Program paved the
favorite volunteer activity. Not only do
transformative power of microcredit,
way for Whole Foods Market to help
the Team members get to help provide
the harvesting and processing of açaí,
fund access to fresh water for seventy-
access to education, they get to spend
local customs, local food, life on the
five families in communities where
a lot of time at the schools interacting
Amazon River and the way tidal
Sambazon works. Whole Foods Market
and playing games with the children.
fluctuation affects it, local language
and Sambazon purchased the filtration
Team Member volunteers helped build
including some phrases and words in
systems and Team Member volunteers,
bathrooms for a new a local school,
Portuguese, how to climb up a tree and
with their hosts, delivered and
built a wall, painted the school, added
harvest açaí with a machete, where
demonstrated their use to these
artistic murals to the walls and
hearts of palm come from, how to
families living in remote locations on
entertained the children.
sleep overnight in a hammock, and so
the Amazon River.
much more!
AÇAÍ
Team Members learned all about açaí, a super fruit that
has antioxidant properties, by learning about sustainable
harvesting and production from Sambazon on the
AÇAÍ HARVESTING
The volunteers learned to shimmy up the açaí trees with
the help of a band connecting their feet, to harvest açaí
with a machete.
Amazon River in Brazil.
TRANSPORTING AÇAÍ TO THE SAMBAZON DOCK
Açaí is harvested in remote areas on the Amazon River and must be transported by boat to the Sambazon processing facility.
Above are Team Members on the Sambazon dock with açaí baskets, and in the hull of the boats transporting açaí fruit.
MOVING AÇAÍ TO THE FACTORY
Once it arrives, the açaí is brought into the Sambazon processing facility in sacks or in baskets. Team Members helped transport
the açaí to the facility by carrying basket loads on their shoulders.
SUITING UP
FACTORY TOUR
A Team Member and Sambazon guide Scott get ready
Team Members toured the Sambazon factory.
for the factory tour.
HELPING
Team Members donned lab coats, head covers and masks to help with production of the açaí pulp packets that are shipped to
WFM stores for sale.
AÇAÍ SEEDS
BRICK FACTORY
This mountain of left over açaí seeds is used to fuel the ovens used to fire bricks for the
Team Members with a brick
community.
factory worker.
SCHOOLS
A rewarding part of the
Whole Foods Market Team
Member Volunteer Program
is the community service
work that Team Members get
to do, as well as the
relationships while doing that
work. Friendships are formed
between people of different
nationalities and cultures,
Whole Foods Market Team
Members from a variety of
regions, facilities, stores and
positions, and between Team
Members and the vendors
and producers whose
products we sell every day.
The work that they do in the
community is impactful and
its affect will last a specific
period of time but the
relationships that they form
with members of the
community can last a
lifetime.
FILTRATION
SYSTEMS
Part of the Whole Foods
Market Team Member
Volunteer Program
community service work in
Water filter training
Boat ride to deliver filters
Brazil was to learn how to
use simple and inexpensive
water filtration systems that
were delivered, set up and
explained to seventy-five
families along the Amazon
River in rural communities
where Sambazon works.
This was accomplished
over the span of the two
2014 volunteer trips. It also
Water filter training
gave the volunteers the
opportunity to see more
small communities along
Delivering filtration systems
the Amazon River and to
meet families who they
would never normally have
the opportunity to meet or
to help in this meaningful
way.
Delivering a system to a family
Giving access to clean water
Another filter delivered to a family
Heading home after a job well done
Touring São Paulo, and graffiti
The equator, a soccer stadium and Iguassu Falls
Playing games with local children, harvesting bananas and cruising the Amazon
Tasting açaí, beautiful Brazil, cruising the Amazon, Iguassu Falls and painting
Cruising along the Amazon and the final product, an açaí bowl
KELLY
“It is such a great program. I constantly am getting people telling me how lucky
I am that I work for such a cool company that sends team members around
PERRI
“My absolute favorite day though was
the world. It really allows us to put things into perspective and bring it
when we did community service at the
back...allowing us to see and be a part of the bigger picture.”
"hospitality home" in Macapá for the
elderly, homeless, mentally ill and
developmentally disabled. It was
PHEERAPHAT
“I gain a lot of experience from this Program. The experience that I could not
get if I travel by myself.”
JOSE
“The experience was life changing. I would love to do it again. From the visit to
Banco de Povo and learn their work to going into the Amazon and helping
build a school. My favorite was when we distributed the water filters to the
families deep in the villages of the amazon. I believe that it will make their
inspiring and a truly personal
experience. Loved it so much. Loved
the people. Miss it already.”
CHRISTINA
“I had an 100% amazing experience and
will forever be grateful to Whole Foods
for allowing me to have such a once in a
lifetime experience.”
lives safer and a little easier. So happy to have been part of it and gone
through it. It has changed my life and perspectives in a positive way. I will be
forever grateful.”
ANONYMOUS
ABIBOU
“One of the most amazing experiences
of my life! Truly life-changing. The
“My favorite part? Learning about Banco de Povo and how our partnership
has allowed them to be sustainable and able to make positive changes in
communities. meeting the micro loan recipient in the favelas like Zaida who I
people that went with me on the trip
were the best part. Just incredible
individuals!”
believe is going to do amazing things. Hearing about their stories is simply
moving. Then being in Macapá/ Amapá after taking a 12hrs scary and exciting
boat ride we connected with the communities. That was the best part for me
LINDA
and most memorable, helping build a new school and seeing the excitement
SUSANNA
around it made me happy for them and inspired to want to go back to school.
We also gave away water filtration system and families opened up their hearts
“Wonderful experience. I loved every
and homes and made us feel welcome. I got to play soccer with the locals.
minute of it.I am so grateful to have
How amazing is that ? I had an amazing experience I am sooo inspired. I will
been chosen to take this trip and
tell my story for years to come. I will commit to helping our team members
learned so much. Everyone I am
connect with the fact that we are truly helping change lives in our global
telling about it can't believe how
community and it starts with each one of us and what we do every day to
amazing the WPF is and WFM. I am
contribute to the success of our team , our store , our region and our
now a lifelong lover of açaí,
company.”
Sambazon and WPF! ”
2014 BRAZIL WFM TMVP IMPACT
17 TEAM
MEMBERS
17
MICROCREDIT
CLIENTS MET
75 WATER
FILTRATION
SYSTEMS
DISTRIBUTED
1 NEW SCHOOL
DEDICATED
1 SCHOOL
BATHROOM
BUILT
1 PLAYGROUND
REFURBISHED
A Team Member poses with the most beautiful blooms from a tree in Brazil