SAN JOSE, Calif. – June 13, 2014 – The Walmart
Foundation’s California State Giving Program has awarded $300,000 to seven Bay
Area nonprofits including Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo
Counties and Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen in San Jose; GLIDE Foundation,
Project Open Hand and SF-Marin Food Bank in San Francisco; Grid Alternatives in
Oakland and Rubicon Programs Inc. in Richmond.
“Walmart’s generous donations made to these seven Bay Area organizations will help our collective efforts to fight hunger and help more people find success in the workforce,” said Mike Wasserman, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
Twice a year, the Walmart Foundation’s California State Giving Program awards grants to local organizations that address the needs of the communities they serve and make a significant social impact.
“The work carried out by these Bay Area organizations aligns with our goal of helping communities throughout California live better,” said Kim Sentovich, senior vice president for Walmart. “Walmart strongly believes in giving back locally and we’re excited to watch these great organizations find new ways to positively impact lives.”
The following nonprofits received grants to fund vital local programs that have proven to help those in the Bay Area with improving healthy eating, fighting hunger and improving workforce development:
SOUTH BAY
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and
San Mateo Counties (SHFB) was awarded a $75,000 grant to support its CalFresh
community outreach efforts. CalFresh is California’s version of the federally
funded supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) – also more commonly
known as food stamps.
“We are so grateful for this generous grant from Walmart,” said Tami Cardenas, vice president of development and marketing for SHFB. “Walmart’s support will be instrumental in helping thousands of our neighbors in need have access to food they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen received $25,000 to help continue providing no cost nutritious meals and support services to anyone in need.
“This generous grant from the Walmart Foundation will go a long way to help provide hot nutritious meals and services,” said AnnMarie Zimmermann, executive director of Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen. “The more than 120,000 individuals and 14,000 children we serve annually will benefit from these funds.”
SAN FRANCISCO
GLIDE Foundation received a $50,000 grant to support
its gateway daily free meals program, the only such program in San Francisco to
provide three nutritious meals a day, 364 days a year to the City's poor,
homeless and hungry.
“GLIDE is grateful to receive this significant investment from Walmart, which will be used to help GLIDE bridge economic disparities in our community and fund our Daily Free Meals Program,” said Kristen Yamamoto, GLIDE's co-executive director. “The $50,000 grant will help GLIDE serve three nutritious meals per day, 364 days a year to San Francisco’s most vulnerable individuals and families.”
Project Open Hand was awarded a $25,000 grant to support its home-delivered meals program.
“We thank Walmart Foundation for its generous grant which will enable us to significantly enhance the services we provide to our homebound, critically ill clients, who are the most isolated and most food insecure neighbors that we serve,” said Kevin Winge, executive director for Project Open Hand. “By providing even more nutritious food and spending more time working with each homebound client, we can improve their overall health and reduce their medical costs.”
SF-Marin Food Bank received a $50,000 grant to purchase a new truck refrigeration unit to transport fresh, healthy produce from growers and manufacturers around California.
“The Food Bank is deeply appreciative of this grant from the Walmart Foundation. The truck we purchased will help us distribute food to needy families in San Francisco and Marin,” said Paul Ash, executive director of the SF-Marin Food Bank. “More than 60 percent of the food we distribute is fresh produce. We couldn’t do this work without a unit to keep things fresh and cool.”
EAST BAY
Oakland-based
Grid Alternatives was
awarded $50,000 to fund its Green Jobs partnership program.
“We’re thrilled that the Walmart Foundation is supporting our workforce development efforts, helping job trainees across California get the hands-on experience they need to access jobs in the rapidly growing solar industry,” said Erica Mackie, GRID Alternatives co-founder and CEO.
Rubicon Programs in Richmond received $25,000 to support its economic empowerment program which provides employment, housing and other support services to East Bay residents. The company also received a $30,000 grant in 2013 to fund services for unemployed residents of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
“For the second year in a row, Rubicon Programs is appreciative of the Walmart Foundation’s generous support,” said Jane Fischberg, president and executive director of Rubicon Programs. “Funding will be used to make the lives of East Bay residents healthier, safer and more prosperous.”
The Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better, awarding grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.
During the last fiscal year Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $1.3 billion of cash and in-kind contributions, including efforts to fight hunger, provide healthier foods and advance sustainability practices. This marks the largest level of giving in Walmart’s history, and the overall increase in giving surpasses the previous year’s total by more than $244 million. Global in-kind donations accounted for $1 billion, while $316.3 million was given in cash globally. In California, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s giving exceeded $47 million.
To be considered for support, prospective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program’s online grant application. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria. Additional information about the program’s funding guidelines and application process are available online at www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving. The next application cycle opens on July 6, 2014.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are
committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By
operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to
address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social
impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating,
Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart
and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United
States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than
1 billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about
Walmart’s giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.