Today, July 30th, is the International Day of Friendship—a day dedicated to celebrating the power of friendship. We’re celebrating here at OLIPOP by taking a moment to spotlight some of our friends doing fantastic work in the community. We’re proud to partner with these and many other hard-working organizations.

Ready to join us in this friendship love fest? In addition to bragging about our friendships, we’ll share a few ideas to make your friends feel extra special today. Let’s get started on this friendship journey… 

What is the International Day of Friendship?

The International Day of Friendship, observed annually on July 30th, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011 to celebrate friendship between people, countries, cultures, and individuals. It builds upon a 1997 UN resolution defining the Culture of Peace. This is “a set of values, attitudes, and behaviors that reject violence and endeavor to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes to solve problems." In other words, the International Day of Friendship aims to inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. 

This day also recognizes friendship's role not just for communities but for individuals—and we couldn’t agree more! Friendship gives us deep and meaningful connections that bolster our mental health, provide purpose and fulfillment, and enhance our overall quality of life. So, not only is today a day to celebrate friendship globally, but we should also take a moment to celebrate our friendships. 

Celebrate Your Friends on the International Day of Friendship

To help you do that, here are some fun and heartfelt ways to celebrate and show appreciation for your friends on this International Day of Friendship:

• Send a Handwritten Card: Take the time to write a heartfelt letter expressing your gratitude and love for your friend. Share fond memories, inside jokes, or several reasons you value their friendship.
• Plan a Surprise Visit: If feasible, surprise your friend with an unexpected visit. Spend quality time together doing activities you both enjoy.
• Organize a Virtual Hangout: Not possible to get together in person? No problem! Plan a virtual hangout with your friend instead. You can have a video call, play online games together, or put on a Teleparty movie viewing.
• Share an OLIPOP: Nothing brings friends together quite like a meal! If you're nearby, cook or bake your friend's favorite dish or treat together, complemented by their favorite OLIPOP flavor. Share recipes or enjoy a meal together over a video call if you're apart.
• Give a Thoughtful Gift: Choose a gift that reflects your friend's interests or a shared memory. It could be something handmade, a book they've wanted, or a personalized item.
• Create a Friendship Playlist: Put together a playlist of songs that remind you of your friend or songs you both love. Then, share and collaborate to build the ultimate playlist! 
• Start a Friendship Challenge: Come up with a challenge or a series of activities that you can both do together, whether it's trying new hobbies, reading the same book, or exploring your city.
• Volunteer Together: Spend the day volunteering for a cause you care about. (Hint: We’ll give you some ideas for organizations below!) It's a meaningful way to bond while making a positive impact.

Remember, the most important thing is to show your friends that you appreciate them and cherish your bond. These gestures can make the International Day of Friendship (or any day!) a memorable moment for both of you. 

OLIPOP Friendships & Partnerships

Speaking of celebrating friends, we at OLIPOP partner with many great organizations doing amazing work in the community. As any friend would, we want to shout from the rooftops about how awesome they are and their impact on everything from combating food insecurity to promoting successful climate action. So, in honor of the International Day of Friendship, we’ll do just that. Here are a few organizations we partner with at OLIPOP that we just can’t stop talking about:

Atlanta Community Food Bank

Serving the greater Atlanta area, the Atlanta Community Food Bank provides nutritious food to those in need, emphasizing child hunger and food insecurity. They distribute over 100 million meals annually through a network of nearly 700 partner agencies, including food pantries, community kitchens, and childcare centers.

Climate Collaborative

The Climate Collaborative is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes businesses in the natural products industry to adopt climate solutions. It connects companies with resources, promotes successful climate actions, and fosters collaboration to tackle climate change. By committing to various climate initiatives, businesses in the coalition work together to drive significant environmental impact.

Drawdown Labs Business Coalition

This initiative by Project Drawdown engages businesses (like OLIPOP!) to adopt and scale climate solutions beyond "net zero." It leverages the influence of its members to drive investments, policies, and innovations for significant private-sector climate action. As coalition members, we commit to science-based emissions targets, advocate for climate solutions, and contribute to global decarbonization efforts.

Farm Share

The Farm Share is a nonprofit organization in Florida that alleviates hunger and reduces food waste by recovering surplus produce from local farms and distributing it to individuals and families in need. Since its inception in 1991, Farm Share has provided millions of pounds of fresh, nutritious food to those facing food insecurity, making it one of Florida's largest independent food banks.

FRESHFARM

FRESHFARM is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system in the Mid-Atlantic region. It achieves this by operating farmer’s markets, offering food education programs, and enhancing food access through initiatives like the Pop-Up Food Hub. Its efforts support local farmers, provide fresh food to communities, and promote hands-on learning about nutrition and sustainable agriculture.

Greater Chicago Food Depository

The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a nonprofit organization committed to ending hunger in Chicago and Cook County. They distribute food through a network of community partners and programs, addressing food insecurity and its root causes, such as poverty and racial inequity. The organization also offers nutrition education, job training, and advocacy for policies that support food access.

Partnership for a Healthier America

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is a non-profit organization committed to ensuring all children and families can access affordable, nutritious food. Initiatives include increasing the availability of healthy foods in underserved communities and promoting better food choices nationwide.

Second Harvest Foodbank

This nonprofit organization fights hunger and provides nutritious food to those in need. It has many locations across the U.S. and distributes fresh food to emergency pantries, soup kitchens, and more. 

Trees for the Future

Trees for the Future is a nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation by empowering farmers through the Forest Garden Approach. They provide training and resources to farming communities, enabling them to restore degraded land, improve crop yields, and enhance their livelihoods. This sustainable model helps combat climate change and supports food security and economic stability in developing regions.

Whole Kids Foundation

Whole Kids Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving children's nutrition and wellness by supporting schools and inspiring families to make healthier food choices. The foundation grants school gardens, salad bars, and other initiatives connecting kids with nutritious, whole foods. The foundation emphasizes hands-on learning experiences to help children develop lifelong healthy eating habits.

Introducing Our New Donation Plugin

Want to send some love over to our friends, too? It’s super easy to do with a new feature in our Olishop, powered by Beam, where you can choose a nonprofit for OLIPOP to support as part of your purchase. We’ll donate 5% of your total purchase to the cause of your choice. In alignment with our primary ESG goals, this OLIPOP donation helps us fund the following:

• Nutrition Access & Education: The delivery of 10,000 servings of produce to families in the U.S. via Partnership for a Healthier America.
• Food as Medicine: A healthy cooking class for 35 families via Common Threads.
• GHG Emission Reduction: The planting of 1,100 trees by indigenous women in Central America via Trees, Water & People.
• Regenerative Agriculture: Assistance for 15 farmers adopting climate-resilient farming techniques via the American Farmland Trust.
• And more! 

International Day of Friendship: The Takeaway

Friendship is vital to our mission here at OLIPOP! We’re honored to partner with and give to like-minded organizations committed to a sustainable and healthy world, like the Drawdown Business Coalition, The Climate Collaborative, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and more. On this day—and every day!—we recognize how important it is to thank our friends and celebrate their role in improving our lives. So with that, raise your OLIPOP can, and let’s cheers to our amazing friendships!