Online Voting Campaign Set to Distribute $1.5 Million in Grants to
Help 75 Food Pantries Meet Demands for Hunger Relief Across the Country
BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- (Business Wire)
Today, on Giving Tuesday, Walmart launches the Food Pantry Holiday
Makeover campaign, a nationwide effort calling on the public to help
food pantries across the country win funds for facility makeovers this
holiday season. The campaign will donate $1.5 million in grants to 75
food pantries, which will be used to purchase new equipment and renovate
their facilities. As part of the campaign, Walmart is teaming up with
DIY expert, licensed electrician and contractor, and TV host, James
Young, and calling on the public to support their local food pantries by
voting online at www.walmart.com/holidaymakeover.
The campaign launches during a critical time when food pantries across
the country are facing high rates of hunger and preparing for their
busiest time of year. According to the most recent USDA
report, more than 49 million Americans, including 16 million
children, experienced food insecurity in 20131. Providing
meals to families is a multi-step process that requires food pantries to
not only have food on hand, but be well-equipped to safely store,
prepare, serve and transport food to enable families to put fresh and
healthy meals on their tables.
“Food pantries play a vital role in providing healthy meals to their
communities. As they face great demand this winter, we’re working to
make a positive impact by ensuring that they have the infrastructure to
safely prepare and store food so more families can have access to
healthier meals,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart
Foundation and senior vice president of Walmart Sustainability. “We
could not think of a better time than Giving Tuesday to kick off our
campaign and give everyone in America the chance to help their local
food pantry win an extra special gift this holiday season with just the
click of a button.”
From now until Dec. 12, the public can visit www.walmart.com/holidaymakeover
to cast one vote per day to help a participating food pantry. The 75
winning food pantries with the most votes at the end of the voting
period will each receive a $20,000 grant. These grants will be used for
important makeovers that may include the purchase of new kitchen and
storage equipment, furniture, paint and other supplies that are needed
to support food pantry operations and, in turn, the families they serve.
One food pantry also will be selected by James Young to receive an
in-person design consultation to help maximize their grant and make
facility updates.
“The thing I love most about my job is helping people make positive life
changes by improving their kitchen, which is the heart of any home,”
said James Young. “Walmart’s Food Pantry Holiday Makeover campaign gives
everyone the chance to support their local food pantries so they can
make important updates to their own kitchens and facilities. With new
equipment, storage systems and new furniture, the food pantries will be
able to streamline their processes and help get needed food into the
hands of more families.”
The Food Pantry Holiday Makeover campaign is another step towards
Walmart’s goal to provide access to affordable, nutritious,
sustainably-grown food. As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart recently
announced a commitment to create a more sustainable food system, with a
focus on improving the affordability of food by lowering the “true cost”
of food for both customers and the environment, increasing access to
food, making healthier eating easier, and improving the safety and
transparency of the food chain.This commitment includes a goal
of providing four billion meals to those in need in the U.S. over the
next five years.
To vote and learn more about the campaign visit www.walmart.com/holidaymakeover.
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, more than 250
million customers and members visit our 11,156 stores under 71 banners
in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal
year 2014 sales of over $473 billion, Walmart employs approximately 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.
1 United States Department of Agriculture. (2014). Household
Food Security in the United States in 2013. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1565415/err173.pdf
Contacts:
Walmart
Tricia Moriarty, 1-800-331-0085
news.walmart.com/reporter
Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
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