Winners of an internal fundraising challenge had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica and participate in some of PriceSmart’s social impact work in local communities, including the Aprender y Crecer Program.
With the goal of better connecting our teams with the company’s social impact work, four participants from our US offices, along with other company team members, traveled to Costa Rica to volunteer and support the activities of local organizations. Their involvement included volunteering with Aprender y Crecer to support the program’s distribution of books and school supplies, speaking to a young women’s empowerment program about their experiences in leadership roles, and helping the local food bank organize and distribute goods.
The volunteers visited two schools with the Aprender y Crecer program in San José, where they participated in the distribution of donated school supplies and books to the parents of the students. They learned about the program’s mission to foster community development through support for public education.
Team members also participated in a "Women Inspiring Women" activity with FundaVida, a non-profit organization located in San José dedicated to the empowerment of children and youth in high-risk communities. FundaVida seeks to break the cycle of poverty through education, technology, counseling, and community connection and inspire kids to reach their full potential. During the visit, the winners had the opportunity to engage with a group of girls between the ages of 11 and 16 years old to share with them their experiences being women in leadership positions in fields that are generally dominated by men. Team members shared the message that if the girls continue studying and know themselves, they will be able to achieve whatever they set their minds to, regardless of adversity.
Employees connected with the company’s work in the fight against hunger by volunteering with the Food Bank of Costa Rica. This organization receives donations from private companies, such as PriceSmart, to provide food and basic necessities to people who are food-insecure or impoverished. PriceSmart joined the Global FoodBanking Network in September 2022 to bring aid to the communities in their markets. Currently PriceSmart supports food banks in Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, and El Salvador and the company seeks to continue expanding its impact.
At the end of the trip the winners and team members were very appreciative of the opportunity to learn more about the social impact work PriceSmart and PriceSmart Foundation are investing in to build community resilience and empower local NGOs.
One of the winners, Deanna R. Swift, Senior Manager, Information Technology, shared:
“What an event filled trip we had in Costa Rica! This was a wonderful opportunity to experience firsthand some of the social responsibility initiatives PriceSmart has in-country. A big Thank You to the company for allowing us to participate in this local event while creating some wonderful memories and friendships.”
PriceSmart Foundation continues to develop leaders and work to support our communities and our employees.
