Retail Orphan Initiative Selects Charities

May 22, 2009

RetailROI (the Retail Orphan Initiative), the Nashville, Tenn.-based retail technology charitable group that aims to raise awareness of adoption issues and help provide lasting solutions for vulnerable children worldwide, has selected four organizations to receive its initial grants.“We are humbled to be able to make these first four gifts in such a short time, gifts that we know will save lives through the innovative work of these organizations,” said Greg Buzek, founder and president, IHL Group and co-founder of RetailROI. “There are 143 million orphans and 400 million vulnerable children in the world. With ongoing support from the retail community, RetailROI can continue giving funds to important organizations like these who are on the front lines in care for orphans and adoption. ”The organizations are 4 KIDS of South Florida, which provides licensed foster homes, family-style residences and adoption support for foster kids in Florida; LifeSong for Orphans, which offers no-interest loans and grants to couples who wish to adopt; Share the Blessings, which provides education and clean-water projects throughout Uganda; and Warm Blankets Orphan Care International, which restores the lives of orphans in partnership with churches, corporations, organizations and individuals who have a passion to help needy, parentless children.“As a retailer who is also privileged to be involved with Share the Blessings, I know these first donations will have a big impact,” said Ed Collupy, VP of information technology, at The Pantry, Inc. “I encourage others in the retail community to get behind the work of RetailROI. Working together, we can begin to make a huge difference.”RetailROI solicits donations from retailers, vendors and employees. Its long-term goal is to create programs such as “RoundUp for Orphans” at the point of sale, in which customers can round up their transactions to the nearest dollar to support the fund, or custom multiretailer gift cards that would dedicate a portion of the sales to RetailROI. For more information about how you can get involved, please visit www.retailROI.org

RetailROI is a charitable foundation established to help the 400 million orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide. Created under the umbrella of The Giving Back Fund, RetailROI provides grants to charities that provide hands-on efforts in such areas as orphan care, foster care and adoption support organizations, and child rescue from human trafficking. The initiative has grown out of the work that Paul Singer, former SVP and CIO of Supervalu, has done in support of orphans.

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