Opal Apple’s Youth Make a Difference Kicks Off this Month

FirstFruits Marketing, growers of the Opal apple, is seeking applications from nonprofit organizations to benefit from Opal sales as part of the Youth Make a Difference initiative, a campaign designed to provide financial support to causes led by youth ages 6 to 25.

For the fourth consecutive year, the demand for Opal apples has allowed FirstFruits Marketing to allocate funds for youth-led initiatives that address issues in food security, nutrition, agriculture, food politics or food education. Non-profit organizations and school-based entities can apply for funding, totaling approximately $75,000, at www.opalapples.com now until February 27, 2016. The program has granted more than $200,000 since its inception, company officials say.

"The Youth Make a Difference campaign aims to inspire the next generation to make a real difference in their communities on issues such as hunger and healthy eating, the politics of food distribution, and the importance of community service,” says Suzanne Broetje, executive director, Vista Hermosa Foundation, Broetje Orchards. “It’s important for us to support organizations that are making a difference, as this brings us one step closer to addressing the most important issues of our time.”

FirstFruits will evaluate all 2016 Youth Make a Difference applicants against a set of criteria before posting finalists at opalapples.com. Beginning April 13, 2016, consumers are invited to visit the website and vote for their favorite initiatives. In July, FirstFruits plans to award funding to multiple youth-led charities based on consumer votes and consistency with criteria. The criteria, nomination guidelines, and funding details can be found online.