BENTONVILLE, Ark., Aug. 25, 2009 –Walmart Stores Inc, through a partnership with minority and disability focused partner groups, will be hosting nearly one hundred financial literacy workshops across the country aimed at equipping participants with immediate, tangible solutions for smart personal financial management.
The program, held in eight U.S. cities, will reach an estimated 3,000 participants. Walmart stores, and other locations, will host twelve, two-hour workshops over two consecutive days in each city. Partner organizations, which include the National Disability Institute, the League of Latin American Citizens, the Cuban American National Council, the National Urban League, AARP, the NAACP and the National Council on Independent Living, will be working with Walmart to identify local community participants.
“These local workshops will reach those in the diverse, disability, senior and other communities who are under-banked, un-banked or need a little guidance on better budgeting and spending,” said Esther Silver-Parker, senior vice president of Walmart Corporate Affairs. “Those wanting to find immediate financial solutions during these tough economic times will be able to get them from a creditable resource and use them to make a positive difference to their financial health and strategy.”
In addition to receiving credit, spending, saving and budgeting tips from Walmart financial services and partner resources, participants will interact with their classmates through hands-on activities aimed at engraining long-term positive financial habits.
Participants will get a “Grocery Money Makeover” which will demonstrate how to create an effective money-saving shopping list, how to budget for food and how to eat healthy on a budget. There will also be a “Dress for Success Money Makeover” session demonstrating how attendees can stretch their dollar by purchasing affordable professional clothes in advance of job interviews.
As part of the program, participants will also receive a free Walmart MoneyCard, a reloadable pre-paid Visa debit card, which provides many of the advantages of a checking account including direct deposit and other money management tools.
As lead sponsor, the National Disability Institute is providing certified facilitators to conduct the workshops. The NDI volunteers have been certified by the FDIC in both tax preparation and asset management training. Honored with awards for outstanding achievement, NDI has long partnered with the IRS to bring financial solutions and services to individuals with disabilities and have expanded their materials specifically for these workshops.
Local events will take place in the following locations from August through October. (Dates subject to change)
- Atlanta, GA – August 26 -27
- Houston, TX – September 2 -3
- Austin, TX – September 22 -23
- Las Vegas, NV – September 22-23
- San Antonio, TX – September 24-25
- Phoenix, AZ – September 29-30
- Raleigh, NC – October 15 -16
- Miami, FL –October TBD
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or “Walmart,” serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,000 retail units under 53 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2009 sales of $401 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.1 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Admired Companies survey. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.
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Ed. Note: Walmart is the legal trade name of the corporation. The name "Walmart," expressed as one word and without punctuation, is a trademark of the company and is used analogously to describe the company and its stores. Use the trade name when it is necessary to identify the legal entity, such as when reporting financial results, litigation or corporate governance.