Natural products industry donates with heart during coronavirus crisis

No matter the challenge, the natural products industry brings heart to the matter. Even when faced with business challenges of their own, natural leaders step up to care for their communities. Here are just some of the ways they are showing up during this international coronavirus crisis.

Please note: New Hope Network will continue share what the industry is doing to show its heart in this article. Let us know the good you see happening in our world by dropping a line to [email protected]. And we hope you will visit this story periodically to keep up with a little bit of bright news.

Natural products companies invest in purpose

Seven Sundays, a Certified B Corporation muesli maker, will donate all proceeds from online orders through April 10 to The Sheridan Story, a nonprofit organization that helps food insecure families fill the weekend food gap by providing healthy and quality food bags to schools.

“We feel that they are in the very best position to make a large and meaningful impact by serving the most vulnerable families during this uncharted time,” co-founder Hannah Barnstable said via press release. “Our goal is to impact 500 families over the next month. Unlike so many other small businesses, to whom our hearts go out, Seven Sundays has not yet been hit hard because the demand for shelf-stable, nutrient dense packaged foods remains high.” 

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San Francisco-based Pacific Shaving Co. is donating 100 percent of online sales to the CDC Foundation through March 31. The congressionally created foundation manages philanthropic resources to support  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Natural products industry helps feed the children

Children across the country rely on school for a healthy meal. So, as schools close across the country close, the natural products industry is stepping up to fill the gaps.

Chobani shared the above photo via LinkedIn, saying: New York is a place we call home, so when we heard more than 3,000 families in the New Rochelle community rely on school lunches, we knew we had to act fast. Thank you NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, Feeding America Westchester & NY Army National Guard for your partnership!

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Sky Organic’s has donated $10,000 each to nonprofit organizations that support COVID-relief efforts. The first is with Feeding America which is committed to serving communities and individuals facing hunger across America. The second is with Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation which establishes a relief fund for individual restaurant workers facing economic hardships or health crisis as a direct result of COVID-19.

Natural products industry donates to food banks

Food banks are working under added pressure as those who have lost their jobs or are working reduced hours amid the coronavirus pandemic seek assistance. Meanwhile, these services struggle with reduced volunteers during this time of social distancing.

Dang Foods responded to the Bay Area lockdown by donating 20,000 units of coconut chips to the Manteca Food Bank.

Natural products industry serves sanitation woes

Early shortages of sanitation products and gear for citizens and health-care workers have captured attention. Natural brands are finding ways to help on both fronts.

Eco Lips founder Steve Shriver teamed with fellow Cedar Rapids businesses Ryan Sunderman, MD, and Cedar Ridge Distillery to distribute free hand sanitizer to citizens of Eastern Iowa. Shriver reached out to the distillery to make 1,000 bottles. The team plans to continue to provide hand sanitizer as long as a shortage exists.

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Trilogia, a new Santa Cruz wellness brand, launched a Masks for Good campaign to help provide KN95 masks to hospitals in the surrounding Seattle area. Masks for Good is a donation program to get as many KN95 masks into the hands of health-care providers as possible. The company kicked off a GoFundMe with $10,000. Trilogia raised $30,000 in its first week and secured an order of 10,000 KN95 masks. The company hopes to reach $500,000 in donations to be able to donate masks needed in other U.S. areas.

Natural products industry support for those on the front lines

Companies are finding ways to support front line health workers, emergency personnel and grocery workers as they face long hours and stressful working situations.

Global packaging producer Ecolean and its customers in the Chinese dairy sector are donating products to hospitals and other institutions in communities affected by general restrictions because of the coronavirus.  

“Ecolean is one of the few producers in the TEDA area in Tianjin allowed to operate its production plant for packaging material,” Johnny Sajland, global sales director of the Ecolean Group, group said via press release. “As a result, we are fortunate enough to be able to secure a steady supply to our customers, so they can keep up production volumes. Together with several dairy brands that are some of our largest customers in China, we are now donating products such as chilled yogurt and pure milk to different institutions, such as hospitals in affected communities.

“We see our customers as our partners and these constructive collaborations confirm that we are on the right path, working together. This is our way of caring for and contributing to the societies in which we operate. It has been natural for us to offer our support to our customers, and we will continue to do so during the market’s recovery.” 

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So Good So You is donating donating hospital care packages that include its functional juice shots to medical professionals across the country.