Friendly Center to Receive $2000 Donation from Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation
Check presentation to be held Mar. 7 at Sprouts Farmers Market location in Fullerton
ORANGE, Calif. (Mar. 3, 2026)—On Saturday, Mar. 7, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation will present a donation to Friendly Center at the Sprouts Farmers Market located in Fullerton.
Jessica Ruelas, Executive Director, will receive the $2000 donation on Mar. 7 from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation.
“We are grateful to the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation for their generous $2,000 donation,” said Dr. Kenia Cueto, President and CEO of Friendly Center. “At a time when many families are facing uncertainty, access to healthy food is critical. Partnerships like this reflect the power of collaboration and a shared commitment to ensuring families can put nutritious, culturally responsive food on their tables with dignity and respect.”
How will funds be used: Sprouts’ grant will support Friendly Center’s Snack Smart and Pantry Power Up program at our Orange after-school site by enhancing the weekly snacks we already provide and adding short, hands-on nutrition mini lessons for approximately 28 children ages 6–12. Funds will be used to upgrade snacks and incorporate fruit and vegetable taste tests, purchase kid-safe food prep supplies for simple, age-appropriate activities, and print bilingual recipe cards and nutrition tips that families can use at home. The grant will also help ensure each child receives a produce-forward take-home bundle paired with the week’s lesson and recipe card, including the ability to purchase suitable fruits and vegetables when pantry donations are limited. In addition, we will expand the reach beyond the after-school program by sharing the same practical healthy-snacking and produce tips at our Easter Basket Distribution, benefiting 300+ children.
The Healthy Seeds donation supports initiatives that provide children and adults with access to nutrition education, gardening and cooking programs, and other resources to support healthier living.
Who: Friendly Center
Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation
What: Check presentation of $2000 to Friendly Center
When: Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026, 9 a.m.
Where: Sprouts Farmers Market
11447 S Harbor Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92832
About Friendly Center
Founded in 1924, Friendly Center is a nonprofit organization serving families across Orange County through food assistance, family stabilization services, and education and workforce development programs. By providing dignified access to basic needs and long-term support, Friendly Center helps families move from crisis to stability and toward self-sufficiency.
About the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation
The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, established in 2015, is a nonprofit 501(c)3organization focused on advancing nutrition education, nutrition access, and health and wellness programs in the states where Sprouts Farmers Market operates. Understanding that healthy habits are formed at a young age, the Foundation champions youth gardening and cooking programs that teach children skills for healthy eating and lifestyle choices that can be carried into adulthood. Through partnerships with hyper-local community organizations, the Foundation also works to expand nutrition access and wellness programs that serve families and adults. Since 2015, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has awarded $50 million in grants. To learn more, visit Sprouts.com/foundation.