Vote for Eco Groups to Receive $ from New Leaf

Did you know that every time you bring your own bags to shop at New Leaf Community Markets, you help support local environmental nonprofits? And that each year, New Leaf customers vote to determine which nonprofits will be beneficiaries for a year?

How the Envirotoken program works: When New Leaf customers reuse a grocery bag, they receive an Envirotoken worth 10 cents that they can direct to the nonprofit of their choice. It really adds up! Over the last year, New Leaf donated $56,289 to 22 different local organizations. $543,289 has been donated since 1993.

Voting will take place online from April 22 to May 31 at: www.newleaf.com/community/envirotokens. (Paper ballots will also be available at the Felton and Boulder Creek New Leaf stores.) See List of groups on the ballot listed below. While voting is open, organizations will be tabling at New Leaf stores to educate the community about their mission and work.

New Leaf Community Markets introduced the Envirotoken program in 1993 to encourage the use of reusable bags and support the efforts of local environmental nonprofits. Not only has New Leaf donated a total of $543,289 to environmental groups, close to 9,000 trees have been saved as a result of customers reusing bags over 6 million times. New Leaf was the first retailer on the Central Coast to introduce this kind of program, and many other retailers in the county and across the U.S. have followed suit. For more information about the Envirotoken program and New Leaf’s other community giving programs, visit www.newleaf.com/community.

Here is a list of the organizations that will be on the Capitola New Leaf ballot:

1. California Certified Organic Farmers
2. California Native Plant Society
3. Coastal Watershed Council
4. Community Alliance with Family Farmers
5. Fish Wise
6. Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
7. Friends of UCSC Farm and Garden
8. Homeless Garden Project
9. Save Our Shores
10. Surfrider Foundation
11. Seymour Marine Discovery Center
12. The Clean Oceans Project
13. Friends of the Sea Otter
14. California Farmlink
15. FoodWhat