Socially Responsible Bananas

2) Who does G.R.O.W. impact?

The G.R.O.W. program funds a variety of resources, including scholarships, housing, health care, and more for underserved farming communities in Mexico and Ecuador. In 2024, the G.R.O.W Program funded educational efforts with:

• 90 scholarships in conjunction with Project Amigo. These scholarships help cover all educational expenses that may prevent a young person from completing school or attending university.
• School supplies for junior high and high school. This includes uniforms, school supplies, backpacks, transportation, and a daily hot meal.
• College student resources. This includes tuition, transportation, supplies, and room & board at Casa Amiga, a housing facility for university students who may live too far from campus to commute daily.

In addition to educational efforts, funds from G.R.O.W. have also supported healthcare, student housing, micro businesses, disaster relief, and environmental health coalition.

• Healthcare: G.R.O.W. initiatives focus on addressing social-emotional issues, bullying, and anxiety through outreach programs. Additionally, they offer yearly vision, dental clinics, and medical equipment aid.
• Student Housing: Through Project Amigo, qualified college students can live at Casa Amiga, a residential facility near the University of Colima where the students room and board, and have study rooms with computers and internet access so that they can focus time and energy on their studies.
• Micro Businesses: Finding jobs in rural areas can be difficult. This program teaches the fundamentals of starting a small business. Since 2010, G.R.O.W. has facilitated many micro-business loans to help launch small businesses
• Disaster Relief: In 2015, in the wake of some devastating storms, Organics Unlimited created a disaster relief program, setting aside a portion of all G.R.O.W. funds for disaster relief. These funds can be distributed quickly on request through established aid organizations in both Mexico and Ecuador.
• Environmental Health Coalition: These efforts focus on advocating for environmental justice in the San Diego/Tijuana border region.

Meet some of the G.R.O.W. scholars below and learn their personal stories!

4) How did G.R.O.W. get started?

Organics Unlimited is a 4th generation family-owned company currently run by Mayra Velazquez de Leon. It was started in 2000, with a mission to provide the best quality organic tropical fruits to consumers in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Its mission also includes operating sustainably and caring for their workers.

The true spark for the G.R.O.W. program came when Mayra noticed how many workers brought their kids with them to work, because they did not have childcare. When she started looking for daycare centers in the area, she was taken aback by how few resources there were. She began looking for organizations in the area who knew the communities and their needs and could effectively provide the resources needed to these kids.

In Mexico, less than 60% of children reach high school and less than 40% graduate high school – compared to 75% of American students who have a high school diploma. Organics Unlimited firmly believes that education is a key element in breaking the cycle of poverty, which is why so much of the focus of the G.R.O.W. program has been on education. Daniella, Mayra’s daughter and general manager of Organics Unlimited, says “it’s been awesome to see the G.R.O.W. scholars receive their degrees and come back to contribute to their home economies.”

Organics Unlimited started selling only 1 pallet of G.R.O.W. and now over 95% of what they sell is G.R.O.W! The program grew organically, and was expanded from Mexico to Ecuador where they also grow a small portion of their bananas. To date they have contributed over $3 million to the program, have funded clean water programs, malnutrition recovery programs, dental and vision clinics, micro-finance loans, and numerous scholarships.