During September, the Co-op hosted a fundraiser that gave shoppers a chance to round up their transaction totals at the registers to help support Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers, or G.R.O.W., which is a charitable organization started by Organics Unlimited in 2005. Their mission is to create a better quality of life for not only farm workers and their families, but entire growing communities in impoverished areas of Mexico and Ecuador. Between Co-op shoppers and a Co-op donation contribution, we were able to raise enough money to support a meaningful scholarship for one high school student this year!

Our friends at Organics Unlimited shared the story of scholarship recipient Zuleima, a 17-year-old student in her third year of high school at the University of Colima, to help showcase the impact the G.R.O.W. program has:

Zuleima comes from a low-income family who, due to financial limitations, lacked access to a proper education. Financial constraints meant that other priorities often overshadowed educational pursuits in her household. Despite this, her parents and grandparents made enormous sacrifices, which allowed her to complete elementary and middle school. The road was challenging and uncertain.

One day, she learned of a scholarship opportunity designed for students whose parents worked in a banana company where her father was employed. Her hard work paid off as she was selected for this scholarship which became a beacon of hope for her family and changed the course of her journey forever.

Thanks to the GROW program, through Project Amigo, she has been able to continue her education and to achieve significant milestones. She completed junior high with outstanding results, earning grades that consistently averaged above 9.5 (the Mexican equivalent of a 4.0 GPA).

Her academic journey reflects both her work ethic and dedication. Throughout her school years, Zuleima worked diligently to achieve outstanding results. This accomplishment was not only a personal triumph but also a meaningful one for her family, as she wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity denied to previous generations—the chance to pursue an education.

Now, Zuleima is on the brink of completing her final year of high school and is preparing to embark on her college education. The scholarship she receives has been essential to this incredible journey; every step has been a testament to her parents’ hard work, along with the support from GROW and Project Amigo, to provide her with the opportunities that life and external circumstances had denied to her.

Her greatest wish is to become a professional who can support her parents and honor everything they’ve done for her. She aspires to give back to her community by continuing the cycle of support she has benefited from through GROW and Project Amigo. Although she is still discovering her true passion, studying medicine has always been in her thoughts, and it is something she is excited to work toward.

By purchasing G.R.O.W. bananas at the Co-op, you’re contributing to real and positive changes for people and the Earth through charitable programs and sustainable agriculture. 60¢ from every case sold goes directly to the growing communities, helping them purchase resources and create opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. Since First Alternative began participating in the G.R.O.W. Program in 2005, we have contributed more than $37,000 thanks to your banana purchases!