PAY IT FORWARD REUSABLE BAG PROGRAM
The Choices Pay It Forward Reusable Bag Program
How Using Reusable Bags Will Help Support Local Charitable Organizations
Paper Shopping Bags. They seem pretty innocuous. After all paper is a renewable resource and can be recycled. The problem is that many people do not recycle them, and in reality they actually require plenty of water, fuel, and trees to produce them. In fact, if they end up in the waste stream, paper bags are so heavy and take up so much space that it requires many more trucks to dispose of them.
At Choices, it is our mission to reduce the number of paper bags that our customers use, and at the same time use the financial resources saved, to give back to our community. Pay It Forward is our plan to do so.
Anybody who brings in a REUSABLE bag for their groceries will receive a wooden token, representing 5 cents, to put towards one of three organizations. The non-profit organizations will rotate. There will be less waste, since less paper bags are used, and we can also make a positive impact on our community. Each time you use a reusable, you will get another token.
Over time, it will add up! Let’s reduce waste and invest in organizations that help make Rockford a special place!
Local Organizations
Here are the three local organizations that your wooden tokens can currently go toward They were chosen because of the positive impact they have on the people who live in the Rockford area.
Rockford Area Habitat For Humanity
From their website:
“Formed in 1988, Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity is the local Habitat affiliate for Winnebago County, Illinois.
Our work is not about houses, it is about homeowners. It’s about our community.
Habitat is dedicated to building homes, neighborhoods, and lives through improved housing opportunity. We build simple, decent, affordable homes to be sold to families currently living in substandard housing.
Rockford Habitat is for families who are ready to make a life-changing commitment to become homeowners. Families are selected on the basis of need for adequate housing, ability to make mortgage payments, and willingness to become partners in the program.
Join our mission. Together we can improve homes, families, neighborhoods and our community!”
At Choices, we are proud to support this organization that is making such an incredible contribution for our community.
A Rockford Period Project
A Rockford Period Project takes donations of menstrual products (pads, tampons, intimate wipes, disposable hand warmers, acne patches, and canvas bags) from the Rockford community and surrounding areas. With these donations we create menstrual blessing bags and informational Binders to distribute to the middle schools in the RPS205 that are most in need every 3/4 months.
Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary
Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary
Rockford’s Only No- Kill Animal Shelter: Each year hundreds of animals come to Noah’s Ark in need of a warm bed, good meal, and, most importantly a forever home. We receive no government funding and rely on the support and kindness from our community, private donations, bequests, fund raising events, grants and volunteer help to complete our mission. Our vision is to secure a safe environment for all companion animals. We envision a world where all people and their pets live healthy, happy, and long lives together.