Grants distributed to nonprofits addressing basic community needs and job training
SEATTLE, Wash. January 9, 2013 – Walmart’s Washington State Giving Program announced today that it has awarded a total of $750,000 in Washington state grants in 2012, including $375,000 to nine nonprofit organizations in the second half of 2012. All grantees focus on addressing basic needs, including hunger relief and job training, through innovative programming. Each grant will help fund essential operations or expansions of these organizations.
“In addition to the thousands of Associate volunteer hours and the in-kind donations throughout the year, we are very pleased to grant funds to these wonderful community organizations in Washington State,” said Madeleine Havener, Senior Director and Regional General Manager for Washington and Oregon at Walmart. “Throughout 2012, the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program has given $750,000 to Washington non-profits. These programs provide vital support for those in need, and we’re very proud to support their continued success and to help people live better.”
Local grantees receiving funds in the second half of 2012 include:
- The YWCA of Seattle | King County | Snohomish County, which received $25,000 to increase women’s healthcare access through peer outreach and education in support of Walmart’s health and wellness initiative.
- USO Northwest was funded $60,000 to provide meals to military members and their families at its Mobile Canteen and to fund operations at its SeaTac International Airport Center, serving members throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.
“This grant from Walmart’s Washington State Giving Council will have a long lasting impact on service members and their families in the Northwest,” says Donald Leingang, executive director of USO Northwest and CDR, USN (Ret.). “With this grant alone, our Mobile Canteen RV will be able to travel across Washington State providing morale support for an entire year.”
- Tabor 100, an association of entrepreneurs and business advocates in Bellevue, was awarded $25,000 for its Minority Business Incubator program to provide mentoring and education to minority and small businesses that are struggling to maintain operations or get their business off-the-ground.
- The Skagit Valley Hospitality House Association (Friendship House) in Mount Vernon received $30,000 to completely fund the first year of Hunger to Hope, a new program that will train homeless community members in culinary arts and feed more than 15,000 people.
- $25,000 was given to support Senior Services of Island County’s Meals on Wheels program to provide meal deliveries to more than 300 older community members throughout Island County.
Other grantees who received funds include:
- Vancouver’s Americans Building Community, which was given $25,000 to fund its Garden to Table program, which increases access to healthy foods through community gardens built by members and volunteers.
- The Matt Talbot Center in Seattle was awarded $50,000 to fund its efforts to provide more assistance to community members in Seattle through daily meals, community holiday meals and Sunday community breakfasts. It also provides assistance to individuals and families in the form of emergency groceries, gift cards and assistance for their most basic needs.
- The Pike Market Senior Center in Seattle received $25,000 to support its Healthy Food for All effort, which assists with free meals and groceries while offering more nutritious fare to seniors in the Greater Seattle area. The campaign will directly benefit more than 5,000 clients.
- Second Harvest in Spokane was awarded $110,000 to fund a new semi-tractor, which is projected to help increase the nonprofit’s food distribution to 28 million pounds annually by 2016.
The contributions to these grantees were made possible through the Walmart Foundation’s Washington State Giving Program. Through this program, the Walmart Foundation supports organizations with programs that align with its mission to create opportunities so people can live better. The Walmart Foundation State Giving Program strives to award grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.
The State Giving Program awards grants starting at $25,000 to nonprofit organizations that serve a particular state or region. To be considered for support, prospective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program’s online grant system. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria.
The spring 2013 grant program is now open and accepting applications through March 1, 2013. Additional information about the program’s funding guidelines and application process are available online at www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people live better around the globe. In May 2010, Walmart and its Foundation made a historic pledge of $2 billion through 2015 to fight hunger in the U.S. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.
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 200 million customers and members visit our 10,400 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs more than 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 http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
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