Good Works

Occasionally a business does something very fine, that deserves positive attention because it is earned. This morning I found out that Minyards, a grocery chain in the North Texas area, is giving away prenatal vitamins to expectant mothers. Free, yes, no charge, to help babies into life healthy.

For all the times it makes us wince to see the abusive attitude toward the consumer that industries like oil show, it's even more noteworthy when a business shows a caring attitude toward its customers.

Minyard and its sibling supermarkets, Carnival and Sack'n Save, today will begin offering free prescription vitamins for expectant mothers, saving them at least $16 every month.

The women can receive the free vitamins for up to a year -- starting nine months before birth and ending three months after delivery. No insurance plan is required, and prescriptions can be phoned in, faxed or prescribed online.

"We're the first to offer this kind of program, and we're proud to take the lead," said Mike Byars, chief executive of Coppell-based Minyard Food Stores, the largest locally based supermarket chain. There are 33 pharmacies in Minyard, Carnival and Sack'n Save stores across North Texas.

Minyard, owned by the Fort Worth investment firm Renegade Swish, intends to build relationships with customers living near its stores and address the region's infant-mortality problem, particularly in parts of Tarrant County, said Ron Peters, the chain's vice president for pharmacy services.

Toward that end, the chain has sent letters about the free vitamin program to 600 North Texas physicians and 200 area church leaders, Peters said.
(snip)
All are made by Ethex Corp., a manufacturer of generic items, which is supplying a similar free prenatal vitamin program launched by Indianapolis-based Marsh Supermarkets.

All right, the giveaway will get people into the store, and inspire good will that pays off. It could have been free candy, though, and probably gotten more people through the door.

There was some discussion this morning in comments at Eschaton about charities that don't really give away donated clothes, but resell them in poor areas. It's sad when good instincts are misused, and donations aren't used for the purpose we expect. As usual, our reaction is to avoid a disreputable organization, and go to one that does a real good deed instead, such as the Red Cross. To check on any charity you're considering you can consult Charity Navigator, where most are rated for their level of actual giving.

Oxfam was mentioned as being particularly good, as well, by ql if I remember correctly. Incidentally, at Charity Navigator, I found highly recommended for your donations to the Burmese victims of that disaster was this one, ActionAid International.

In an instance like this, good will that brings us to go out of our way to patronize a store that does the right thing is not misplaced.

More like this, please.

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While celebrating a good work, let me pass on this warning I saw on BBC.

Almost 500,000 people have been caught out by a booby-trapped media file, says security firm McAfee.

The fake file poses as a music track, short video or movie and has been widely seeded on file-sharing networks to snare victims.

McAfee said the fake media file outbreak was the largest it had seen for about three years.

Those running the fake file get bombarded with pop-up ads and risk compromising the safety of their PC.

Be careful what you wish for!