New RSF Borrower HappyFamily: Pleasing Baby Bellies and Easing Parents’ Minds
November 16, 2009
By Elizabeth Bracco
RSF recently extended a loan to HappyFamily, the innovative social enterprise that provides a nourishing alternative to processed baby food. Happy Family has a complete line of organic and delicious choices for babies and toddlers that are as nutritious as home-cooked meals but take a fraction of the time to prepare - and the world has taken note. The company recently came in second place in “Shine a Light,” American Express’s highly competitive program which calls on the public to vote on inspiring small businesses.
HappyFamily, the rapidly growing and socially responsible brainchild of Shazi Visram and Jessica Rolph, launched its premium frozen baby foods on Mother’s Day in 2006 . The freezing process is one example of the intention that goes into each product: flash-freezing food after cooking to a low temperature preserves the health benefits while the high-heat process used with jarred baby food depletes the nutrients. The product line has since expanded to include pro-biotic, DHA-enhanced cereals (Happy Bellies), melt-in-your-mouth finger foods for the baby’s introduction to solids (HappyBaby Puffs), and hand-held frozen meals for the toddler (Happy Bites).
Every ingredient in every product is chosen to create the healthiest formulations possible for growing bodies. HappyFamily doesn’t want parents to take their word for it - the company aims to educate them on nutrition through a community of experts and parents online and with the book HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months. The book is a collaboration between HappyFamily and Dr. Robert Sears of the famous Sears pediatrician family. Dr. Sears, or “Dr. Bob” as his young patients call him, has written several books on raising healthy children, and appears regularly on TV, offering advice on parenting, behavior, and health issues.
HappyFamily’s impact reaches beyond the baby that eats the Puff, Belly or Bite; the company gives back to the earth and to children less fortunate than their customers. For every unit sold, 2.5 cents (enough to feed one child for one day) is donated to Project Peanut Butter, a nonprofit that provides a protein-rich supplement to malnourished children in Southeast Africa. As for the earth, HappyFamily uses creative packaging solutions that reduce waste. For example, HappyBaby Puffs are packaged in containers that were discontinued by another brand, minimizing the waste involved in disposing of the otherwise useless vessels. All of HappyFamily’s packaging is recyclable and devoid of harmful chemicals.
RSF’s loan to HappyFamily will help the company meet the soaring demand by customers such as Babies R Us, Whole Foods, and Target. With this loan, HappyFamily can continue to help parents feed their babies the very best, and pave the way to a healthier world.
For more information, visit: happybabyfood.com. For information about the RSF Core Lending Program, click here. To help RSF make more loans like this one, click here to find out how to invest in the RSF Social Investment Fund.
Elizabeth Bracco is Senior Documentation Associate at RSF Social Finance.
- Published by Kyle Foley
- Categories: Deals, Food & Agriculture, Investing, Lending, Social Finance, Social Investment Fund
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