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| Who Are We |
Project Hope & Fairness, Inc., is a California public benefit corporation that is in the process of filing for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS.* We are a volunteer organization based in San Luis Obispo, California, that was created to assist African cocoa farmers who suffer disproportionately from the inequities in the world cocoa trade with particular focus on the participation of chocolate producers and consumers in the United States.
Currently, our Board of Directors has three members.
Tom Neuhaus is the president and founder Project Hope & Fairness, Inc. Tom first thought of donating solar-powered freezers to villages after visiting Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon in 2003 and 2004. On his 2005 trip, during which he interviewed several Ivorian cocoa farmers, it became apparent that one way of bringing more money into cocoa-growing villages would be to provide tools that would make the farmer more competitive. Tom is an owner of Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates <http://www.sweetearthchocolates.com> the only uniquely Fair Trade/Organic artisan chocolatier in the U.S. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo. Tom is a recognized expert on Fair Trade chocolate, having strong connections with the Organic Consumers Association, Global Exchange and the International Labor Relief Fund. He does speaking engagements in order to promote Fair Trade and the foundation.
Ernie Roide is the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Project Hope & Fairness, Inc. Ernie is a graduate of Cal Poly (B.A., Graphical Arts) and holds an M.B.A., also from Cal Poly. He is an owner of Promotion Plus, <http://www.promoplus.com/cm/Home.html> Inc. based in San Luis Obispo and specializes in the use of printed media to promote advertising campaigns. Ernie brings his concern about the unjust distribution of wealth in our world to the Board and wants to use his promotional savvy to make people aware of social justice issues. Ernie and his wife, Tawn, have three children.
Greg Abel has been in practice in San Luis Obispo County since
1981. With a background in civil litigation, Greg has concentrated his practice
in family law since 1996. Greg graduated from the University of California, Davis
campus in 1975 and received his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of the
Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1980. The Wendt and Abel law firm continues to represent clients
in business and civil matters as well as family law. Since joining the original firm in 1982 Greg Abel has earned
the reputation as a conscientious, skilled and ethical advocate. Wendt &
Abel employs an experienced legal assistant and enjoys working relationships
with business evaluators, mental health professionals, estate planners, accountants,
and other specialized experts who are engaged to obtain the best possible
resolution for the client.
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Tom Neuhaus
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Ernie Roide |
Eric Parkinson |
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Our organization is supported by, among others, the following
businesses:
Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, Promotion Plus, Inc., and New Image
Technologies. Their logos are listed below. |
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