A revolution is coming. Well, if they have it their way it is.
One couple has made it their mission to get children healthy, schools funded and parents happy. And if their new business model is right, they will do just that.
Sarah and Darryl Davis are now founding partners of Wealthy School Revolution (WSR), a website where parents can go to order their groceries online and up to 20 per cent of the sales will go back to the school of their choice.
"It's really simple," Sarah Davis said. "You order and really just a part of the profit goes back to the schools."
Wealthy Schools, which is based in West Vancouver, is a for-profit company, but is able to give a percentage of its profits to participating schools, because it doesn't incur the costs of traditional retail (building and labour.)
"And since we are using the school building (which already exists) to distribute the products back out to parents, we create efficiencies in our shipping costs," said Darryl Davis.
To date, Sarah Davis said they have more than 50 schools signed on to the program, but none in Richmond. This is a wall they hope to break.
"The Richmond school district is very much in need of cash, but we don't have a school there yet," she said.
Sarah Davis said schools are in more need than ever for any extra funding they can get.
"Every year budgets get more and more tight," she said. "And schools ask parents for more and more."
She said parents are asked to buy items such as baked goods or chocolate, which usually tends to be unhealthy in the first place. But, as of right now, it's the only way for parents to raise money.
With WSR, they hope to change that. The website offers parents the choice to shop online, piling all the healthy food and supplies they need into their e-cart and checking out.
When they do, parents will notice 20 per cent of the sale cost is put aside to the school of their choice. After everything is cleared, the website lets you know when the order is available for pick-up.
"The parents pick the food up right from the school when they drop their kids off," Sarah Davis said.
When the food is dropped off at the school, a cheque of 20 per cent of the total sales is also given to the school.
WSR is hoping to expand into the Richmond area very soon. To do so they are willing to meet with schools and parents alike to speak about the program.
To learn more, visit www.wealthyschoolrevolution.com.
