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Healthy Living Gives $119k Back to Communities in 2021 (Vermont)

SOUTH BURLINGTON — In 2021, shoppers at Healthy Living and Café’s three locations rounded their purchases to the next dollar — and raised $119,193 for local nonprofits.

Through the Together We Can Help front-end fundraising campaign, guests at the South Burlington, Williston and Saratoga, New York, locations chose to give to regional organizations — and the people who utilize their services.

Quarter 4 recipients included in South Burlington the South Burlington Food Shelf and Spectrum Youth and Family Services, each receiving $6,937. In Williston, the Williston Community Food Shelf and Spectrum each received $4,923, and in Saratoga, Double H Ranch received $8,575.

These gifts include a match from Healthy Living, in the amount of $7,500 in Quarter 4.

Spectrum empowers teenagers, young adults and their families to make and sustain positive changes through prevention, intervention and life skills services.

Double H Ranch serves children dealing with life-threatening illnesses with specialized programs and year-round support, enriching their lives and providing memorable camp experiences in the Adirondacks — free of charge.

The food shelves in the two respective communities work to ensure that South Burlington and Williston families receive food items, important always and heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are thrilled to provide these donations to such important community partners,” said Eli Lesser-Goldsmith, CEO of Healthy Living. “Our shoppers care about the world in which they live, they share our values and they, just like us, want to help their neighbors. Together we can make a difference.”

Guests can continue to help local nonprofits year-round by opting to round up when checking out — as seen by these donations, a few cents can contribute to a much larger total.

Spectrum Executive Director Mark Redmond said, “Thanks to Healthy Living for their generous and consistent support of young people at Spectrum. Kids who face a lot of hurdles don’t often have a community to help get them through. As they say, ‘it takes a village,’ and we are so grateful that Healthy Living is part of ours.”

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Healthy Living and Café is an independent retailer of local, organic and natural foods with stores located in South Burlington and Williston, Vermont and Saratoga Springs, New York. Founded by Katy Lesser in 1986, Healthy Living pioneered natural food stores in Vermont and has expanded to serve its communities with fresh, chef-driven café foods. Healthy Living now employs 320 team members across its three locations and remains a family business led by Lesser and her two children, Eli and Nina. Committed to holding the strictest ingredient standards in the retail industry, Healthy Living is proud to sell the finest and cleanest food at the fairest prices possible while supporting local farmers and producers. For more information, visit healthylivingmarket.com.