Empowering Individuals in the Global Community Through Entrepreneurship
2013 Whole Foods Market Team Member Volunteer Program Trips
We are thrilled to announce expansion of the program to include pilot trips to Ghana and USA - Oakland California. Starting January 1 through March 31, 2013, Whole Foods Market Team Members applied online and submitted their application- essay and/or video- to their store/facility and regional leadership for consideration for this program that has five aims: 1) learn about Whole Planet Foundation and meet microcredit clients, 2) see where and how Whole Foods Market products are grown, 3) provide community service, 4) experience and learn from other cultures, and 5) challenge yourself and explore exciting countries around the globe.
Eligibility for all trips:
2,000+ service hours
No current corrective counseling
Team Leader-recommended, Regional President/GVP-approved
Positive, self-directed attitude, passion for service
Friendly and flexible
Current passport
Volunteers pay for their own airfare, visa and travel clinic costs
2013 application process:
Trip Schedule
Trips are tentative depending on community partner requests and sufficient applicants:
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
2013 Pilot Trip to Ghana
In June of 2013, 12 volunteers have the opportunity to participate in a volunteer program to Nyariga, Ghana where The Blessing Basket Project sources stunningly beautiful baskets for sale in Whole Foods Market and where Whole Planet Foundation is funding poverty alleviate through microfinance partner Grameen Ghana. Volunteers will get to visit with Grameen Ghana and learn about their methodology, as well as meet microcredit clients. Volunteers will learn about traditional weaving from the talented villagers as they finish construction on a computer lab for the girl's school and teach the young ladies computer basics. The trip will focus on an artisan theme, including weaving in Nyariga, pottery, traditional African symbols and drawing in a nearby arts center and batik in the capital of Accra.
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
Great job in 2012 and on to 2013!
Thank you to all the volunteers and field partners for such a successful year in 2012 supporting and learning from communities in Brazil, India, Kenya, Peru and the United States. We celebrate last year's success while gearing up for this year's programs.
2013 TM Volunteer Trip to Brazil
In Brazil, we supported communities in Amapá and learned about açaí production in the Amazon Rainforest with Sambazon, visited a Whole Planet Foundation-supported microlending project in the slums (favelas) of São Paolo with Whole Planet Foundation partner Banco do Povo, and visited Iguassu Falls. Two, 2-week trips were held August 25-September 8 and September 22-October 6, 2012.
Supported by two indigenous experts, Sambazon staff and Intrepid Travel Guide Rosana, Team Member Volunteers stayed in the community on the Amazon for 4 days and 3 nights and worked with the community to improve buildings and spirits. Trip 1 volunteered in the Foz de Mazagao community which is located 45 minutes away by van, then a flat boat for 30 minutes on the Amazon River to the community. Trip 2 volunteered in the Rio Maniva community which is located an hour away by slow boat to the community on the Amazon. Both communities are impoverished and subsist on the Amazon. Team Member Volunteers cleaned up trash and the landscape, constructed garden boxes, dug trenches for water lines and drainage, dug holes for laying foundation, painted, repaired docks, did light construction and watched after the local kids and played with them.
This trip is a new model for the Whole Foods Market Team Member Volunteer Program: volunteers are able to provide service to Whole Foods Market suppliers who already support sustainable community programs. Thank you Sambazon, for joining and leading us on this journey!
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
I’m home!! Sad to say it, hah. What an unbelievable trip. Today is my first day back, but only physically. My heart is definitely still in Brazil. The group we had on this trip was incredible, I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with side by side, I hope we remain good friends for many years to come.
Thank you so much for putting together this trip! It truly has rewired my brain as far as our partnership with Sambazon, microloans, Whole Planet Foundation and so much more in all the best ways. I hope I get to participate in many more Whole Planet trips in the future!
Mary, California
2012 Trips
We offered two, 2-week trips September 28-October 13, 2012 and October 5-20, 2012 for 21 volunteers to help finish construction and painting of a hygiene station (showers, bathroom and laundry facility) for a children's home in Tamil Nadu. Volunteers visited a microlending project of Whole Planet Foundation partner Microcredit Initiative of Grameen and met microcredit clients, toured a cashew production and packaging facility in Kerala, and learned about traditional Indian cuisine. The Team Members had the option to add a visit to the Taj Mahal at their own expense, which was an amazing opportunity to see one of the wonders of the world.
Pilot program in 2011
We were thrilled to offer a successful pilot trip to India in September 10-25, 2011, with 10 Team Members and one family member.
Team Members volunteered with The Miracle Foundation, an Austin-based non-profit supporting orphanages in India, to build a playground for an orphanage based in Tamil Nadu.
Team Members traveled to Kerala, India where Whole Foods Market sources cashews, in order to learn about microcredit from Whole Planet Foundation partner Microcredit Inititative of Grameen. In Kerala, volunteers visited with clients to see their home-based businesses and witness microcredit in action.
The final stage of this journey was a flight to Delhi and exciting drive to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world as a symbol of eternal love.
A life-changing experience!
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
I support Whole Planet Foundation because it’s the first time I have felt as an individual, my small efforts can truly change someone else’s world. We are giving these woman an opportunity to support their families and smile with pride with what they are able to accomplish. It’s a beautiful thing to see. Thank you for the opportunity to go on such an amazing journey. The impact in my life and those closest to me has been tremendous. And the sparked interest and eagerness of team members wanting to hear and see pictures is overwhelming. Talk to you soon!
Destin, Florida Region Team Member Volunteer
2013 Trips
Are scheduled to be 2 two week trips occuring June 28-July 11 and July 19-Aug 2 and a 4 week trip Sept 1- 30.
2012 Trips
We offered three trips to support a community near Nairobi to help open the first bakery in Maai Mahiu, which is set to open in June 2013. Volunteer work included digging the bakery foundation, helping to construct the walls and the roof, planting trees, and participating in an "Ubuntu Day" of waste cleanup for the town. Team Members visited a microlending project of Whole Planet Foundation's partner One Acre Fund and met microcredit clients and their families, travelled to the Maasai Mara to witness Maasai artisans at work, and went on safari (one day for 2-weekers, 3 days for 4-weekers). Trips were held June 16-July 1, June 30-July 15, and September 1-30, 2012.
Pilot program in 2011
We were thrilled with the pilot trip to Kenya that occurred June 11-25, 2011, with 9 Team Members and a family member.
Team Members volunteered with Comfort the Children International, an Austin-based non-profit supporting disabled children in Kenya, with the main goal of building a poultry and educating schoolchildren about environmental efforts by greening their village. Then then group travels by road to the Masai Mara where team members will get to participate in a safari at an eco-safari resort camp.
Team members traveled to Nyeri, Kenya where Whole Foods Market sources coffee, in order to learn about microcredit from Whole Planet Foundation partner Jamii Bora Trust. In Nyeri, which is at the base of Mt. Kenya, volunteers will visit with clients and see their home-based businesses to witness microcredit in action.
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
This trip was a life-changing experience! Who knew 30 days would pass by so quickly? Working with Comfort the Children International was a such joy; their work in Maai Mahu is inspirational, to say the least.
Kevin, South Region Team Member Volunteer
2012 Trip
We offered one, 2-week volunteer trip in Peru in October 2012, to support an indigenous weaving community with Apus Peru. Volunteers visited a microlending project of Whole Planet Foundation partner Pro Mujer and met microcredit clients in the Cusco area, visited historic sites in Cusco as well as magical Machu Picchu, learned about Peruvian cuisine including tea, cacao and coffee and shopped several fascinating marketplaces, and enjoyed a challenging hike at high altitude. Volunteer work included refurbishing guest quarters (painting/repairs) for Quechua weavers who plan to host more visitors in the future to share the traditions of their past.
2011
In July and August 2011, we held pilot trips to Peru, including 33 Team Members and family member volunteers. Team Members volunteered with Global Vision International, to build water cisterns for an impoverished community.
Team Members traveled to Arequipa, Peru where Whole Foods Market sources onions, in order to learn about microcredit from Whole Planet Foundation partner Pro Mujer. Volunteers learned about microcredit from the Mollendo office in the high desert and visited with clients to see their home-based businesses and witness microcredit in action.
Volunteers worked alongside Global Vision International staff, supporting the leaders of the local indigenous communities to develop educational and community programs. The programs assisted children who otherwise would not have the opportunity of any formal education or who need educational reinforcement, and the local families to improve their own standard of living via micro-financing and small scale construction initiatives.
The final stage of this journey was a trip to Cusco, Peru to visit Machu Picchu, a 15th-century Inca site.
Check out Team Member Mary's blog about her Peru trip at Mary Picchu (please note this is a not a WFM or WPF-sponsored blog).
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
What a powerful experience. I feel grateful and inspired. Going to Peru was life changing. I loved traveling with a group of Whole Foods Market team members and going from strangers to very close in a matter of days. The journey sparked something in ALL of us and there is no doubt that spark has been and will be passed on to whoever we share our stories with. Imagine the feeling you get knowing you made a lasting contribution to something great. Imagine hearing about the full circle connection and impact the foundation and it’s micro-finance partners has on the lives of so many woman and their families. NOW, imagine experiencing this in person, with your own eyes!? It was beyond amazing and I can’t think of a more rewarding experience. Thank you Whole Foods!
Tamara, Global Support Team Member Volunteer
Successful Pilot trip in 2012
We are thrilled with the pilot, one-week program to New York City that occured August 12-18, 2012. We visited a Whole Planet Foundation-supported microlending project and met microcredit clients of Grameen America in Queens, supported Greyston Bakery and Greyston Foundation in Green Mountain Energy's donation of a $33,000 solar array to power their operations and reduce energy costs by an estimated 17%, visited fabulous NYC markets including Whole Foods Market Chelsea, WFM Columbus Circle, WFM Union Square and the new WFM 57th Street stores, and toured the Big Apple. Volunteers learned about solar and created an education board for Greyston's employees and visitors who are all working together to support low-income families in the New York area. Poverty hits hard in the United States too, so we are grateful to be helping everywhere.
This trip was designed to provide a brief, accessible volunteer option to Team Members, and due in large part to our partners and the terrific pilot Team Members, it was a success! We will be offering a similar trip in the United States in 2013, most likely in the San Francisco area since Whole Planet Foundation partner Grameen America's Oakland branch launched in February 2012. We are pleased to provide a condensed program to enable participation by Team Members with young children or elder parents or any Team Member with commitments that could make travel a challenge.
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
Thank you for giving me the opportunity of participating in the Whole Planet Foundation trip to NYC. It was such an honor to represent Ponce de Leon and the South Region. It was such a great experience to visit the stores in NYC and meet the team members there. The other team members on the trip were so great too, and I loved hearing the different experiences of each. Learning about Grameen America, Pro Mujer and microlending was so interesting and inspiring. I learned about so many things that Whole Foods Market does for Whole Planet Foundation. I had no idea that we do so much for these causes. I am so proud to work for Whole Foods Market and to know that WPF helps in my homeland of Ethiopia, and that Ethiopia is one of the 55 countries where Whole Planet Foundation is working. The trip was awesome, it was my first trip to New York, and I loved everything that we did. Joy was such an inspiration, very helpful and patient. Thank you again! I am so honored that I was chosen.
Selamawit, South Region Team Member Volunteer
2007-2011 Trips
The Team Member Volunteer Program supported the community of Panajachel 2007-2011. In July 2011, 14 team members and family members will participate. In 2010, 25 team members from Whole Foods Market stores and facilities in the U.S. and Canada volunteered. Team members have built 47 carbon-efficient stoves, provided 83,200 meals to school children, and taught over 348,000 hours of classroom instruction.
Volunteers have the unique opportunity of being immersed in one of several indigenous communities situated near our base town, Panajachel, a beautiful old town on the shores of Lake Atitlan, an awe-inspiring spectacle of sheer beauty, surrounded by volcanoes. Volunteers work alongside Global Vision International (GVI) staff, supporting the leaders of the local indigenous communities to develop educational and community programs. The programs assist children who otherwise would not have the opportunity of any formal education or who need educational reinforcement, and the local families to improve their own standard of living via micro-financing and small scale construction initiatives.
Team Members get to learn about microcredit from Whole Planet Foundation partner Banrural Grameen Guatemala. Learn more about Team Member experiences from GVI's blog about the Guatemala program.
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
Going to Guatemala meant so much to me because it put real people and real faces on the Whole Planet Foundation mission. My perspective completely changed when I looked in the eyes of those women borrowers- what challenges they face every day and how hard their life is. They are beautiful, amazing women with a lot on their shoulders to carry and they just need that little loan to rise above the challenges of their society and their life. I felt a responsibility to them and I knew the best way I could assist them is by creating awareness when I returned back to my local stores. Asking people to donate $1 or 2 dollars is such a small amount for us, but collectively can add up to an entire loan for a woman, or 2 loans for 2 women, etc. The effects of that $1 or $2 are even more far reaching because it touches her family, her children, and even the generations to come. I hope that through my Guatemala experience I can make a huge difference in the lives of the borrowers and their families.
Kerry Page, Rocky Mountain Region
2007-2008 Trips
Volunteers who joined this four-week program lived and worked in one of the poorer regions of Costa Rica, to experience different regions of the country through excursions. The project is based in Limon Province, in a town called La Alegria, close to Guacimo. Guacimo lies on the eastern side of the country, 2.5 hours by minibus from San Jose, towards the Caribbean coast. Volunteers travelled from San Jose to EARTH University to tour its banana plantation and processing facility where EARTH repurposes banana waste into paper, and to learn about the benefits of Whole Trade Guarantee Program. In the same week, volunteers learned about microcredit by Grameen Trust, a Whole Planet Foundation partner, and attended a borrower meeting and visited the businesses borrowers have developed as a result of the microloan. Team Members learned Spanish and interacted with the community, learning about the history of the area and the social and environmental challenges. Community service included work on a program of education, as requested by the local community, including English Language teaching after school, one-on-one reinforcement, and adult education. There was also opportunity to assist with construction programs as well. On a weekend, volunteers visited New Chapter Organic's Costa Rican farm, Luna Nueva, which is near to Arenal Volcano. They toured the medical gardens, learned about the rainforest and bio-dynamics. On a another weekend, Team Members visited the impressive Tortuguerro National Park to see wildlife such as monkeys, caiman, crocodiles, and the stunning birdlife such as toucans. Volunteers joined a turtle conservation program at night in hopes of seeing turtles emerging to lay their eggs. The third weekend was available for Team Members to explore Costa Rica, as popular activities include zip lining, rafting and the beach! This program helped Costa Rican families to improve their standard of living, via sustainable development initiatives, educational facilities for the next generation of Costa Ricans and also assists in the conservation of Costa Rican natural resources.
Questions? Contact us at wfmtmvp@wholefoods.com
In Costa Rica we had the opportunity to meet some of the microcredit clients. We went to their homes and saw what they can do with a microloan. At one borrowers home we saw a tilapia fish pond, a small field of ornamental plants and a sugar cane grove. The family was very happy and am sure healthy! $200 can go a long way toward changing a family and their future. - Scott, Southwest Region Team Member Volunteer
John M. Mackey,
co-CEO of Whole Foods MarketAs we have done business around the world increasingly we feel we have the responsibility to help those communities we are trading in. Our partnership, through Whole Planet Foundation, with these community partners, will help our Whole Foods Market Team Members contribute to our mission.
