Cradles to Crayons is Proud to Partner with Whole Foods Market Stores in Massachusetts this Season

Cradles to Crayons®, a nonprofit organization that equips children from birth through age 12 living in homeless or low-income situations with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school, and at play, is proud to announce that it has partnered with Whole Foods Market stores in Massachusetts for its winter initiative.

Now through December 31, 24 Massachusetts Whole Foods Market locations will host in-store collections to support Cradles to Crayons and its Gear Up for Winter program, aiming to assist 40,000 local children this season. A shopping list is available at each participating store’s entrance for Cradles to Crayons donations, with items ranging from baby and kid hygiene supplies to outerwear and clothing essentials. Customers can purchase items in-store or drop items at collection bins accessible at participating locations.

Two Whole Foods Market locations are also hosting a Jam the Van collection event this month. On Saturday, November 12 from 12-3pm the Hingham Whole Foods Market (94 Derby St. Hingham) and on Friday November 18 from 11am-4pm the South End, Boston Whole Foods Market will host the signature Cradles to Crayons van in their parking lots to accept donations of all types. Community members are encouraged to clean out their closets and help jam the van with donations. To date, 1,041 local children have been served through the 2015-2016 Whole Foods Market partnership.

“We are thrilled to partner with Whole Foods Market in Massachusetts this season,” said Lynn Margherio, Founder and CEO of Cradles to Crayons. “We are very appreciative of their commitment to supporting local families. These collection efforts will go a long way towards keeping kids warm this season.”

“Partnering with Cradles to Crayons this time of year is the perfect way for Whole Foods Market to live out our core values and to serve and support the children in our local communities with meaningful and critically needed items,” said Chuck Olivieri, Metro Marketing Team Leader, Boston Stores.

Participating Whole Foods Market stores in Massachusetts include:

40 Railroad St, Andover

808 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington

170 Great Rd, Bedford

255 Hartford Ave, Bellingham

1028 Beacon St, Brookline

15 Washington St, Brighton

115 Prospect St, Cambridge

200 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge

340 River St, Cambridge

51 Austin St, Charlestown

Charles River Plaza - 181 Cambridge St, Boston

Ink Block – 348 Harrison Ave, Boston

15 Westland Ave, Boston

300 Legacy Pl, Dedham

575 Worcester Rd, Framingham

94 Derby St, Hingham

413 Centre St, Jamaica Plain

2151 Mystic Valley Pkwy, Medford

916 Walnut St, Newton

647 Washington St, Newtonville

35 Pleasant St, South Weymouth

317 Boston Post Rd, Wayland

442 Washington St, Wellesley

400 Cambridge Rd, Woburn

About Cradles to Crayons

Cradles to Crayons launched in 2002 and has operations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The nonprofit provides children from birth through age 12 living in homeless or low-income situations with the essential items they need to thrive—at home, at school, and at play. They supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities that have with communities that need. Cradles to Crayons mobilizes communities of plenty on behalf of communities of need, recycling and reusing high-quality children’s goods and engaging thousands of youth and adults in tangible service activities each year that benefit local children. For more information, please visit www.cradlestocrayons.org/boston/.

About Whole Foods Market®

Founded in 1978 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company's motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, team member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s more than 85,000 team members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 19 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2015, the company had sales of more than $15.4 billion and currently has more than 460 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more company news and information, please visit media.wfm.com.

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