NNFA Retailer Relief Fund Established

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 31, 2005) – The National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) launched an aggressive campaign today to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina through its creation of the NNFA Retailer Relief Fund. In order to ensure that donations to the fund will be tax deductible, all contributions will be channeled through the industry’s Natural Products Foundation.

“We want to do everything we can to help the victims who have suffered from the devastation of Katrina, whether they’re everyday citizens or fellow natural products businesses,” said David Seckman, NNFA’s executive director and CEO. “Let me emphasize that 100 percent of these donations will go directly to the relief agencies or retail stores.”

Those wishing to donate through NNFA can elect to have their donations sent to the NNFA Retailer Relief Fund or to either the American Red Cross or Salvation Army’s hurricane relief funds. All checks should be made payable to the Natural Products Foundation and donations are tax deductible.

Contributions to the NNFA Retailer Relief Fund will go directly toward helping NNFA member retailers who sustained damage due to Hurricane Katrina. NNFA’s Southwest and Southeast Regions are working in close partnership with NNFA’s national office to identify those retailers in need of assistance.

“We urge any store owners who suffered damage from Katrina to contact their NNFA regional offices for help,” said David Taylor, NNFA’s president. “And if you know of a store that was damaged, even if it wasn’t your own, please let us know. In many areas the telephone lines are down and electricity is out so there is no way for us to conduct our usual outreach efforts without your help.”

Those wishing to identify stores in need should contact Carylene Reed of NNFA Southeast at (800) 828-7250 (for Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia) or Dale Power-Wells of NNFA Southwest at (517) 575-0119 (for Louisiana).

To donate, please submit checks made payable to the Natural Products Foundation and indicate which fund the donation should go to: NNFA Retailer Relief, American Red Cross or Salvation Army hurricane relief funds. Payments should be sent to: Natural Products Foundation, c/o NNFA, 2112 E. Fourth St., Suite 200, Santa Ana, CA 92705, Attn: Retailer Relief. For questions, please contact NNFA at (202) 223-0101.

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Contact:
Tracy Taylor, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications
(202) 223 – 0101
ttaylor@nnfa.org