October 11, 2010 / earnesteats

Teaming Up with the International Rescue Committee

Passion. We have it for our snacks, and we have it for helping others. At Earnest Eats, we want to make an impact not only in the food world but in the world world. So when we decided to put that desire for change into action, we reached out to The International Rescue Committee (who we’ve admired from afar for a number of years) to see what we could do.

The IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive and rebuild their lives. Since its founding in 1933, the International Rescue Committee has offered life-saving care and life-changing assistance to millions of refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. With a presence in over 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, the IRC restores safety, dignity, and hope to those who are uprooted and struggling to endure. And with 90% of funds spent directly on programs and services, we knew we were partnering with what The American Institute of Philanthropy, The Forbes Investment Guide, and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance all agree is a top philanthropic committee.

With both Earnest Eats and a chapter of the IRC based in San Diego, partnering up was a natural fit. Since there is a very large refugee population in San Diego – including refugees from Somalia, Cambodia, Burma, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Mexico, Vietnam, and Guatemala – the IRC here works primarily in resettlement. We started with the basics: what could we do, who could do it, and how soon could we start; we were ready to dive in. Turns out, the IRC has an annual program in San Diego called the Backpack Campaign. Each summer, the IRC asks the community to donate a new backpack filled with school supplies for every refugee who will be entering an American school for the first time in the fall. Having extremely limited resources, newly arrived refugee families are not able to purchase backpacks/supplies for their children. Because our products are great for breakfast and snacking, and perfect for the whole family, we decided to put our Baked Bars in every backpack that was distributed.

The Backpack Campaign is just one of many programs that Earnest Eats plans to partner with the IRC on. We’re hoping this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Tell us what you think! Do you do your own volunteer work? Send us a photo of you in action and we’ll send you a free Baked Whole Food Bar! You can email your submissions to: