Description: Judy Wicks has lived in Philadelphia since 1970. During these 37 years she has been an innovative leader and activist, working creatively and cooperatively with many partners to build a vibrant and joyful Philadelphia community and strong local economy that supports the natural environment. Her work bridges the for-profit world, with her businesses the White Dog Cafe and the Black Cat gift shop, and the not-for-profit with White Dog Cafe Foundation, Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, and the national Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.
Practices in 18 different "Sustainable Elements"
Sustainable Food - Through her business, White Dog Cafe (WDC), which she founded in 1983, and its non-profit affiliate, White Dog Cafe Foundation (WDCF), chartered as a 501c3 in 2002, Wicks has been a leader in developing a Sustainable local food system. Setting the example, WDC buys 100% of its meat, poultry and eggs from small family farms where the animals are raised humanely and sustainably on pasture. Support of such farms provides an alternative to the corporate factory farm system, which is not only cruel to animals, but pollutes soil, air, and especially the water system from the concentration of manure, endangers consumer health with use of anti-biotics and hormones, and destroys rural communities. In season, WDC purchases fruits and vegetables from local organic farms, and in winter many purchases come from organic farms elsewhere and from local organic greenhouses. All fish and seafood comes from sustainable fisheries. Realizing that having one Sustainable business is not enough, in 2001, Judy started the Fair Food Project to teach these practices to her competitors in order to build a sustainable local food system. Judy was motivated toward a cooperative approach to protect the things she cares passionately about - animals, nature, family farms and delicious, healthy food. The Fair Food project, which for its first 4 yrs operated out of Judy's house, connects local farmers with the urban marketplace, publishes consumer and wholesale guides to local farm products, and runs a farm stand in the Reading Terminal. When products are not available locally, WDC purchases fair-trade products, which benefit the communities of origin. Organic fair-trade coffee comes from an indigenous cooperative in Chiapas, Mexico, which Judy has visited numerous times, connected them with buyers and investors, made 2 loans of $20,000, and provided two $1,000 grants for organic certification and purchase of shade trees. Among the other fair trade products purchased by WDC are organic teas, organic cane sugar for table service, organic vanilla from a cooperative in Papua New Guinea, and organic chocolate from coops in Latin America. Additionally, the Black Cat sells fair trade organic coffee and chocolate, as well as fair trade crafts, and products made from recycled material.
Green Energy/Recyclinq/Pollution Prevention/Waste Reduction/Transportation Alternatives - In 2001, WDC became the first business in PA to buy 100% wind-generated electricity, up from 40% . begun in 1999. WDC uses eco-friendly all-purpose cleaner and bathroom hand soap, and recycled bleach-free paper products (including office paper, napkins, paper towels, coffee filters and to-go containers and bags). Trash bags are made from recycled resin, and the paper plates for off-site events are produced from recycled sugar cane stalks. Paper, glass and metal waste is recycled through a cooperative center Judy helped start with a $5,000 contribution, and a project has just begun there to compost food waste into fertilizer for landscaping at the Univ. of PA. Used fryer oil is recycled into bio-fuel by a farmer to heat greenhouses/Additionally, WDC encourages public transportation by participating in the Transit Check program, which allows employees to purchase SEPTA passes from before tax wages; providing discounts for customers who have a SEPTA trans/trail pass, or who use Philly Car share; and encouraging bicycle transportation through bicycling events. In 2003, Judy was among the first to purchase a Toyota Prius hybrid.
Social Justice/Equitv/Best Management practices - Judy believes in paying a living wage to all employees, and at WDC the entry-level positions pay $9/hour. She has been a national advocate for the living wage campaign and for raising the federal minimum wage. She has also been a national spokesperson for keeping the federal estate.tax. Unlike most restaurants, WDC provides benefits to air employees (including tipped employees - unheard of in the restaurant industry), such as heath insurance (contributing more than half the cost), a matched IRA, and paid holidays and vacations. In 1992, Judy started a mentoring program for high school students interested in the restaurant industry. Judy contributes 20% of WDC profits to non-profit work, primarily WDCF, which works to build a just and sustainable regional economy. WDC provides many gift certificates and food donations to worthy causes. Judy has held countless events at WDC on peace and justice issues and has sponsored buses to DC for protesting war, gun violence and standing up for children. Additionally, Judy disinvested in the stock market many years ago and puts all of her savings in The Reinvestment Fund, which invests in projects that build a stronger local economy and community.
Cultural/Community Engagement/Partnership Building/Education -Judy is known for using good food to lure innocent customers into social activism! Throughout the year WDC hosts numerous educational events such as talks, community services days and community tours involving sustainable agriculture, alternative energy, green building, peace and justice issues. As SustainLane's website states: "The White Dog Cafe, featuring Judy Wicks' locally procured organic food, is the cultural center for urban-rural linkages statewide, with its breakfast talks, movies, and weekly community gatherings." Judy builds many partnerships with non-profits including the Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), the Mural Arts Program, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, numerous environmental organizations which lead eco-tours, and hundreds of other organizations, which co-sponsor talks and/or tours. Since 1986, Judy has been leading delegations of customers and staff to countries where there is poor dialogue with the U.S. through her international sister restaurant program, "Table for Six Billion, Please," which shows the effect of US policies on the people of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, Cuba, Vietnam, etc. There is also a local project that supports minority-owned restaurants in Philly and Camden. Fun is a big part of ' WDC and block parties and other special events celebrate the joy of community and diversity.
Leadership/Impact (locally, nationally, globally) - It is not surprising that Judy was identified by Leadership Inc. as one of the 101 "connectors" in Philadelphia, that others trust and turn to, because of her vast network of relationships. In 2001, Judy founded the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN), and provided an office, staff, equipment, and financial'support during the formative years. Recently, SBN successfully spun off from WDCF as its own non-profit with over 400 members. Through the WDC newsletter, Judy has taken leadership positions on many important issues of the day, and through educational programs, WDC has cultivated a generation of activists who are committed to environmental and social issues. Judy is a national leader in the local living economy movement and is co-founder and co-chair of the national Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). Traveling extensively, Judy speaks on the WDC model and the local living economy movement at business schools, conferences and community gatherings across the US, as well as some foreign countries. She and WDC have been featured in many articles and in books by such prominent authors as David Korten, Peter Singer, Mark Albion, and Frances Moore Lappe.
Results: In the 24 years since Judy Wicks first opened WDC as a takeout coffee and muffin shop on the first floor of her house, she has grown it into an internationally known model of how a values-based business can be economically viable, while sustainable and just, influencing countless others. Impact can be measured socially, environmentally and economically. Dollars spent at the White Dog are spent by the White Dog to buy from other local independent businesses, buy environmentally responsible food and products (including over $300,000/yr on local farm products), pay a fair price to suppliers and a living wage to staff, and provide charitable dollars of up to $60,000/annually. Few business owners can claim this kind of long-term commitment and success, as well as influence. Judy's values are not a marketing device, but rather the guiding principles of her business and life. And on top of that, Judy shows that building a sustainable business and community is fun!
