How Shopping Smart Can Help Your Favorite Charities

(StatePoint)  How do you shop? When faced with aisles of cleaners that all claim to do the same thing, electronics that play the same content or cars that all get you where you need to go, most people choose products based on quality and price.

But a new trend is developing as more consumers are taking into account a company's charitable contributions or standing in the community.

Now more than ever, shoppers want to buy products from good corporate citizens. Especially in light of recent worldwide crises, many companies are providing assistance quickly -- and consumers are taking note. For example, Wal-Mart financially supported Red Cross emergency relief efforts in Haiti after the earthquake and sent pre-packaged food kits, helping to raise its standing in the eyes of many.

But corporate social responsibility isn't limited to international disasters. Many organizations contribute to their local communities daily, supporting such efforts as education, environmental sustainability, disease prevention, animal care and rescue, and safety programs.

If educational causes are important to you, for example, look for products from companies such as Honeywell or Toyota, that have long sponsored programs to assist teachers and students. By providing science education grants to teachers and scholarships to minority and disadvantaged students, Toyota is among many corporations helping enhance community schools, while Honeywell supports classroom safety programs.  

Here are some other tips for becoming a more conscientious shopper:

* Do Your Research: There are several publications that report on companies' corporate social responsibility, but you can also go straight to the source and check the Web sites for your most frequently bought purchases. Search "environment" or "corporate social responsibility" to learn what companies are doing to make the world a better place.

* Switch Teams: If a company doesn't give to any charities or causes, or you don't like the ones to which they give, switch products and start buying from a company whose charitable work you support.

* Start with the Cause: Instead of researching companies, you can research causes and organizations to learn which companies are supporting them. You can usually find this information on a nonprofit's Web site or in its annual report.  For instance, by visiting the National Safety Council's Web site, you can find lists of corporate partners and the initiatives they co-sponsor, such as free teen driving programs.

* Participate: Take part in corporate-sponsored events. For example, National Public Lands Day is the largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance U.S. public lands, and has been made possible by a 10-year sponsorship from Toyota. In 2009, 150,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, removed trash and invasive plants, planted trees and restored water resources. If you're interested in attending this year's event, visit publiclandsday.org.

Remember, actions speak louder than words. Buying products benefiting causes and charities close to your heart is more powerful than talking. With every purchase, you can change your community or even the world!
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Wren Sponsors Fulton County Fraternal Order of Police 'Shop with a Cop' Program

/PRNewswire/ -- Wren , providers of physical security solutions that create safe learning environments, is proud to sponsor the 2009 Fulton County Fraternal Order of Police "Shop with a Cop" program. For over 12 years, the annual community initiative has successfully helped pair underprivileged children with a police officer for a fun shopping experience for items from school supplies to holiday gifts. This year, Wren serves as one of the local businesses in the Dunwoody community to sponsor children whose families are experiencing economic hardships.

The Shop with a Cop concept has programs nationwide through the involvement of various law enforcement agencies and fraternal order of police organizations in local areas. Financial support for the programs is driven through fundraising with community businesses, retailers, and citizens. The program gets its name, however, from the volunteer work provided directly by police officers, who spend off-duty time the day of the event with children shopping at a designated store. The time the officers give helps the program deliver on its promise and signifies both the officers' commitment to community service in addition to establishing relationships with children who live in the very locales they're sworn to protect.

"While most citizens see police as agents who enforce the law, at the end of every day served, our officers want nothing more than to be the good guy and protect the community," said Captain Greg Lauth, Fulton County Fraternal Order of Police. "Our officers donate their time to be involved in the Shop with a Cop program because it allows them to achieve the goal of being the good guy, but in a fun and relaxed environment where they can connect with kids to build respect and a chance for both the officer and the child to see the other for who they really are. For myself and our other volunteers, it is an honor and a privilege to be able to help the children in our communities in need, and to provide them with a memorable event."

Wren is closely tied to both schools in the Atlanta community and nationally through its commitment to publishing a Network Video + Education blog and designing solutions that help schools make their learning environments safe. Wren demonstrates its commitment to law enforcement officers by offering members of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) an annual scholarship awards program. Wren also conducts its own independent school security research series to help identify, address and solve school officers' security needs.

In 2008, company president Andrew Wren volunteered through "Principal for a Day" as the principal of a local school to experience first hand the challenges and joys that school administrators face every day. Wren's decision to support children in its immediate Atlanta neighborhood through the Shop with a Cop program was a natural extension of the organization and its employees' philanthropic efforts.

"We're honored to support not only local school children through this program, but to also show our appreciation to the officers for their contributions to the community through their service and for the time they volunteer out of their busy schedules to be involved," said Andrew Wren, president of Wren.

For more information about how to get involved or donate to the Shop with a Cop program, please contact the Fulton County Fraternal Order of Police at 770-457-5603 or visit their website at www.fultoncofop64.org.

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