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Giving Back to — and Through — Our Employees

It’s impossible to separate a company’s passion from the people who make it work every day. Our employees are proud to support Earthbound Farm’s mission to share the benefits of organic food — and in turn, Earthbound Farm supports our employees’ passions for other causes, as well.

Each month we donate to a nonprofit organization nominated by our employees. An Employee Charity Donation Program committee meets monthly to review the nominated organizations and to select the charities to receive awards that month. Here are some of the charitable organizations our program has supported.

Employee Scholarship Program

Earthbound Farm employees make the fulfillment of our mission possible — some have been with us since the earliest days of our company. To honor all of them, we’ve created two renewable scholarships that are awarded each year to children of employees headed to college or other post-secondary education. It’s a smart investment in all our futures.

Meet our 2009 scholarship recipients:

Arianna Azevedo, daughter of Faye Azevedo in our San Juan Bautista Finance department, is currently working toward her bachelor’s degree as a double major in Design and Communications, plus a minor in Art History, at the University of California, Davis. Her instructors recognize her intelligence and maturity; her employers admire her dedication and professionalism. Arianna loves expressing her creativity through graphic design, and she enjoys overcoming the challenges and constraints with which designers must always work. Her keen interest and enthusiasm give her the energy she needs to thrive amid the demands of her rigorous work and study schedule; between those commitments, she still manages to relax and rejuvenate with painting, photography, and her black Labrador, Spinner.

Natalie Chaides, daughter of Richard Paulus in our San Juan Bautista Facilities department, completed her program at Monterey Peninsula College this year with honors. She’s earned the respect of those who know her best for her focus and determination, for her intelligence and her remarkable talent for storytelling. Natalie has found that “life is a journey”; she’s justifiably proud of the lessons she’s learned in her life so far, and of the family she credits with making her a well-rounded person. She will enter Seattle University in the fall as an English major, concentrating in Creative Writing and Film Studies; her goal, she writes, is “to walk away from Seattle University proud and strong, with the ability to take control of my life and succeed in all things to come.”