Share Our Strength Signs Social Franchise Agreement With Winestyles

Companies Also Announce National Cause-Marketing Partnership

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL (February 21, 2007) — Share Our Strength, one of the nation’s leading organizations working to end childhood hunger in America, and WineStyles, the nation’s largest wine store franchise, announced today that Share Our Strength will become a WineStyles franchisee, initially in Washington, D.C. The companies will also launch a national cause-marketing partnership, establishing Share Our Strength as the official national charity of WineStyles, to help Share Our Strength ensure the over 12 million American children facing hunger have the nutritious food they need to learn, grow and thrive.

As a WineStyles’ franchisee, Share Our Strength marks its entry into the emerging social franchise sector, an innovative concept that offers non-profit organizations strategic relationships in the franchise community from which to generate unrestricted income to fund new and existing programs and activities. Developing a social franchise strategy can help overcome the challenge many non-profits face in raising funds for social services beyond government funding, foundation grants and other sources of restricted revenue.

This unique partnership was established by Social Franchise Ventures, a consulting firm focused exclusively on helping non-profit organizations identify, acquire and operate franchised businesses. Social Franchise Ventures will assist Share Our Strength in managing the development and operation of its franchise locations. Currently, the Share Our Strength WineStyles location is projected to open in 2007, in Washington D.C. with the goal of opening 19 additional stores over the next five years.

“Social Franchise Ventures searched the franchise community, and found that WineStyles’ leadership in wine retail and Share Our Strength’s vast network of chefs, volunteers and events made for an ideal and strategic partnership,” said Billy Shore, founder and executive director, Share Our Strength. “We’re excited to leverage our social franchise strategy through WineStyles’ extensive network to help us end childhood hunger in America.”

WineStyles, a national wine store franchise demystifying the wine shopping experience, organizes its wine by color and taste instead of varietals or regions. Guests can choose wines based on their taste preferences such as crisp, silky, rich and bubbly or fruity, mellow, bold and nectar. Most wines are priced at $25 or below. Currently, WineStyles has more than 100 stores in 19 states, Puerto Rico and Mexico. This vast franchise network provides the platform for its national cause-marketing campaign to benefit Share Our Strength’s efforts.

“We are proud to have Share Our Strength as a member of the WineStyles family,” said Robert Spuck, president and chief executive officer, WineStyles, Inc. “We’re confident that the WineStyles’ customer will recognize the value of Share Our Strength’s mission and contribute to their effort through our various programs planned over the next several years. We’re committed to growing together and helping Billy and his team reach their goal of ending childhood hunger in America.”

WineStyles’ cause-marketing campaign includes donating a percentage of proceeds from select items in its stores including wine, wine-related items and gift baskets. WineStyles will launch a “Chef Wine Tasting Series” across the country featuring Share Our Strength Chefs hosting in-store wine tasting events with 100 percent of ticket proceeds donated to the organization. The first event of this series will be in San Francisco tomorrow at WineStyles’ West Portal location. WineStyles plans to eventually conduct monthly events in its stores throughout the U.S.

Also, the wine franchise will initiate a national Share Our Strength Wine Club and will serve as the exclusive wine retail sponsor for Share Our Strength’s signature culinary events, Taste of the Nation and A Tasteful Pursuit. For more information regarding this partnership, please visit www.winestyles.net/sos.