Walmart & the Walmart Foundation Mark 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with $25 Million Commitment to Support Disaster R...
August 21 2015 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Walmart Advances Disaster Response Best
Practices with Thought Leader Forum and Support of Study to
Identify Lessons Learned from Past Decade of Disasters
In observance of the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina,
today Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announce a $25 million
commitment over five years to support organizations in disaster
recovery and resiliency efforts worldwide. The commitment was
announced by Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores,
Inc., on Instagram. As part of the commitment, the Walmart
Foundation is making an initial investment of $500,000 in grants to
select local nonprofits in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.
The announcement will be made as part of the “Before. During.
After.” forum in New Orleans where Walmart will convene government,
business and nonprofit leaders, including New Orleans Mayor Mitch
Landrieu, former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Harry Connick,
Jr., to reflect on the lessons learned since Hurricane Katrina and
inform the future of disaster response. The forum can be viewed on
YouTube from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CDT.
Coinciding with Walmart’s commitment and thought leader forum,
new research made possible with funding from Walmart and conducted
by Louisiana State University will be released that looks to the
past and future of disaster response since Hurricane Katrina to
answer the question, “Are We Ready Now?” The study captures insight
from academics and first responders who have experienced disasters
worldwide regarding the importance of formal public-private
partnerships, technology innovations, preparedness and the power of
heroes in disaster relief and resiliency. The research found that
the lessons learned from Katrina and other large scale emergencies
drove an increase in public-private partnerships, the use of
technology and innovations to create a better “preparedness
culture.”
“Hurricane Katrina touched our customers, associates, and
communities in a profound way, and we haven’t forgotten,” McMillon
said. “Working hand in hand with the people of the Gulf Region
at that difficult moment showed us there are times when we can make
a real difference. Today we’re gathering with leaders in New
Orleans to reflect on the progress made since the storm and to make
a $25 million commitment to disaster response and resiliency
globally. We will continue to help communities prepare for -
and recover from - the unexpected.”
In addition to the $25 million commitment, Walmart and the
Walmart Foundation are announcing $2.9 million in grants recently
made to several nonprofits that will help build the capacity of
communities across the United States to be prepared to respond to
disasters through business, government and nonprofit collaboration,
volunteer training and new technology. Good360, PYXERA Global, Team
Rubicon, and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction are
receiving grants that will support the following programs:
- Good360: A $1 million grant from
Walmart will support, in part, a new digital platform called
DisasterRecovery360. The platform enables nonprofits to track the
supplies needed immediately at the site of a disaster and then
empowers companies to fulfill those needs in real-time through
in-kind and cash donations. The public can help by making donations
that will fund the transportation of goods to the right place, at
the right time.
- PYXERA Global: A $457,000 grant
from Walmart will develop a global disaster corps model and run
three pilot programs, in partnership with Team Rubicon. The model
is designed to leverage volunteers to help communities prepare and
respond to disasters.
- Team Rubicon: A $250,000 grant
from Walmart will support the reintegration of military veterans by
using their unique skills to respond to emergencies. The grant will
further develop an incident management curriculum and develop
advanced disaster response training for Team Rubicon
volunteers.
- United Nations Office for Disaster
Risk Reduction: A $1.2 million grant from the Walmart
Foundation will support the R!SE Initiative that will help build
coalitions and local campaigns in the U.S. Gulf Coast specifically,
and communities worldwide, to address the challenges of community
preparedness and resiliency.
Activating Local Communities Through Volunteerism and
Preparedness Events
Walmart will continue activating local communities across the
United States in August and September with volunteer and disaster
preparedness events. Walmart and Sam’s Club are serving as title
sponsors of New Orleans’ Citywide Day of Service on Aug. 29 that
aims to engage 10,000 volunteers in local service projects.
Volunteers can register now to participate with the city directly
at http://katrina10.org/serve/. Then, during National Preparedness
Month this September, participating Walmart stores, in coordination
with local emergency management organizations, will hold events to
help customers develop family communications plans and organize
supply kits to be used during an emergency.
“When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Walmart was on
the front lines of the response. Walmart opened make-shift stores,
sent truckloads of supplies to our city, and activated associates
on the ground to help those in need. In turn, they started to
change the role of the private sector in disaster response,”
Landrieu said. “I’m proud to be here today with Walmart and
emergency response thought leaders to reflect on lessons learned
over the past 10 years. In addition, I look forward to
commemorating this time in our history by supporting local
neighborhoods during a Citywide Day of Service next week.”
Walmart’s Ongoing Commitment to Disaster Relief and
Resiliency
When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005,
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation immediately responded not only
through cash donations, but Walmart also activated its network of
associates on the ground to deliver truckloads of water, food and
other essential supplies. Additionally, Walmart promised a job for
all associates displaced by the storm. Since that time, Walmart and
the Walmart Foundation have continued support of the U.S. Gulf
Coast, investing $168 million over the past 10 years.
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to making
disaster response and resiliency a priority, leveraging their
ability to convene government, nonprofit and business leaders as
well as associates and customers to quickly respond to disasters
and support the communities affected. Over the past 10 years,
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have contributed more than $50
million in global relief and resiliency, responding to disasters in
the United States, Mexico, the Philippines, Haiti, the United
Kingdom, Canada and Chile.
To learn more about Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s
disaster response and resiliency efforts, visit
http://news.walmart.com/disaster-response.
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world
save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail
stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we
serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,532 stores
under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11
countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart
employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues
to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and
employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be
found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at
http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available
at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150821005020/en/
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.Tricia Moriarty,
800-331-0085news.walmart.com/reporter
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