Walmart business and philanthropy come together to help fight hunger this holiday season
December 17 2020 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Walmart Foundation donates $12 million to
Feeding America; Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution
centers allocate funds and product to hunger-relief
organizations
The holidays are a time of giving, but they are also a time of
great need. Food insecurity continues to plague families and
individuals across the country, with an estimated 1 in 6 people at
risk of hunger as a result of COVID-19. This is compared to a
pre-pandemic number of 1 in 9 struggling with food insecurity,
according to Feeding America®, the nation’s largest hunger-relief
organization. As a result, food banks and pantries are having
difficulties keeping up with demand. To help organizations meet
this increased demand during the holidays and beyond, the Walmart
Foundation is granting Feeding America $12 million over two years.
Walmart is also encouraging its stores, Sam’s Clubs and
distribution centers in the U.S. to commit funds and to continue to
make product donations to hunger-relief organizations through the
end of the year.
The Walmart Foundation grant to Feeding America will support
critical work that aims to reduce barriers and increase access to
food assistance for people facing hunger, including expanding Order
Ahead, the organization’s click and collect app, which enables food
insecure neighbors to order food from a food bank or partner
organization and pick it up at a convenient location, drive-thru,
home delivery or locker. The grant will also provide significant
capacity investments for several member food banks to increase the
amount of food they are able to source and distribute to people in
need in their communities, as well as support digital ads and
one-on-one application assistance for those in need of benefits and
resources.
“Hunger affects people in every community across the country.
The Feeding America nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000
pantries and meal programs works hard every day to help our
neighbors who face hunger, especially during this time of crisis,”
said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “We are
tremendously grateful to Walmart and the Walmart Foundation for
their generous support and their long-standing commitment to
fighting hunger in every community across the country. Their
support has been transformational for the fight to end hunger.”
In Walmart’s work to use its business strengths alongside
philanthropy in fighting food insecurity, stores, clubs and
distribution centers across the U.S. were encouraged earlier this
week to appoint a hunger champion to help coordinate holiday hunger
relief efforts. Associates are reaching out to local nonprofits to
assess their needs and learn how the company can best meet the
demand. Many Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs have already been
helping organizations fight the battle against hunger in their
communities this holiday season.
In Longview, Washington, for example, Walmart supports Food for
Change, a local community organization co-founded by a Walmart
associate. Food for Change is helping provide 500 meals to those in
need this month. And in Bend, Oregon Walmart associates and a local
Rotary Club worked to support 683 families through a store grant
and product donations during the week of Thanksgiving.
Kirsten Twiss, store manager of the Walmart Supercenter in Bend,
said, “Food banks in Oregon have been stretched thin during the
ongoing pandemic. We teamed up with the local Rotary Club and The
Giving Plate, a local food pantry, to help. We’re going through
this together, so we can all help each other together.”
For years, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have supported
hunger-relief organizations, and this year is no different. Since
Feb. 1 of this year, more than 5,000 hunger-relief organizations
have received support from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation
through the donation of 480 million pounds of food and over $55
million in grants for hunger relief. Complemented by these efforts,
Walmart customers, Sam’s Club members and suppliers have raised
nearly $18 million for hunger relief.
And with this end-of-the-year push to support hunger-based
organizations through grants or product donations, Walmart seeks to
bend the curve on hunger even further, especially during the
holidays.
About Walmart
Walmart 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, over 265
million customers and members visit approximately 11,400 stores
under 55 banners in 26 countries and eCommerce websites. With
fiscal year 2020 revenue of $524 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2
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
https://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at
https://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/walmart.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and
the Walmart Foundation. By leaning in where the business has unique
strengths, Walmart.org works to tackle key social issues and
collaborate with others to spark long-lasting systemic change.
Walmart has stores in 27 countries, employs more than 2 million
associates and does business with thousands of suppliers who, in
turn, employ millions of people. Walmart.org is helping people live
better by supporting programs that work to accelerate upward job
mobility for frontline workers, address hunger and make healthier,
more sustainably grown food a reality, and build strong communities
where Walmart operates. To learn more, visit www.walmart.org or
connect on Twitter @Walmartorg.
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Blair Cromwell - 800-331-0085
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