Standard Fruit Company of Costa Rica, a division of Dole Food
Company, Inc., announced today that it will renew its support for its
widely successful Social Development Program in Costa Rica. In view of
its very encouraging results since its inception, Dole seeks to
increase the number of people benefiting from its community outreach
programs during 2007. The Program's main role is to provide health,
education and well-being programs to the company's workers and their
families.
As an integral part of the Human Resources Department, Dole's
Social Development Program has given support to employees and their
families, and helped to strengthen local communities through health
and education programs.
"We are pleased about the level of involvement and success the
Social Development Program has achieved since its implementation. The
Program has served as a gathering place for important awareness on
health and for education programs," said Danilo Roman, General Manger,
Standard Fruit Company of Costa Rica. "Dole will continue enlarging
this program which has fostered good will in the community and among
the people of Costa Rica."
The Center's activities include:
The "La Mano" Program conducts workshops in small groups to help
parents establish constructive learning methods for their children;
over 259 parents have participated.
Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Family Violence Program provides
education to the community about domestic and sexual abuse, in
addition to identifying existing cases in order to help victims and
provide necessary treatment. In one year, 43 seminars have served over
5,000 participants. This program is jointly coordinated between Dole
and Costa Rica's Ministry of Security.
The Drug Abuse Prevention Program has reached out to 231 children
in the community to stress the dangers and consequences of drinking
alcohol, smoking tobacco or experimenting with other drugs. This
preventative program is also jointly implemented with the involvement
of Costa Rica's Ministry of Security.
The General Ophthalmology Check-up Program brings eye care
services directly to the employees working at packing plants by
offering preventative eye exams with the help of a mobile ocular unit.
It is expected for over 1,000 employees to benefit from this program
throughout 2007.
Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2006 revenues of $6.2 billion, is
the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit,
fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of
packaged foods and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in
nutrition education and research.
This release contains "forward-looking statements," within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that
involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking
statements, which are based on management's current expectations, are
generally identifiable by the use of terms such as "may," "will,"
"expects," "believes," "intends" and similar expressions. The
potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied herein include
weather-related phenomena; market responses to industry volume
pressures; product and raw materials supplies and pricing; changes in
interest and currency exchange rates; economic crises and security
risks in developing countries; international conflict; and quotas,
tariffs and other governmental actions. Further information on the
factors that could affect Dole's financial results is included in its
SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K.