Topeka, Kansas – October 8, 2014 – The Walmart Foundation’s Kansas State Giving Program has awarded $315,000 to eight nonprofits throughout the state dedicated to serving residents through its core areas of giving: hunger relief and healthy eating, sustainability, career opportunity and women’s economic empowerment.
“We’re honored to play our part in helping Kansas residents live better by supporting organizations that make a significant impact across the state,” said Mindy Ellis, senior director and regional general manager, Walmart. “Each of the organizations is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities they serve and we look forward to seeing how they assist Kansas residents with the help of a State Giving grant.”
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. Twice a year, the Kansas State Giving Program looks for organizations that address the needs of the communities they serve and make a significant social impact.
The following nonprofits received a second cycle State Giving grant to fund vital local programs that have proven to help those in Kansas live better. Nonprofit recipients in Kansas include:
Boy & Girls Club of Manhattan received a $25,000 grant to support Portable Kitchen, a pilot program being tested with youth, kindergarten through 12th grade. This grant will allow the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan to partner with the Home Baking Association (HBA), Share Our Strength and various test kitchens to develop, produce and contribute to educational resources and training videos for the Portable Kitchen.
“The Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan is grateful to receive a Walmart Foundation State Giving grant,” said Kelly Carmody, Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan. “The grant will help fund the Portable Kitchen curriculum and training to ensure Club members are given the tools to live a more active and healthy lifestyle. It truly brings Club programs full circle with a real life experience that they can take with them.”
Boys & Girls Club of Topeka received a $30,294 grant to support its afterschool meal program that was launched in March 2014. The grant will enable the Boys & Girls Club of Topeka to continue renovations of its outdated kitchen that is currently unusable for prepping and serving meals.
“The Walmart Grant is a vital pillar to stabilizing the foundation for Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka’s commitment to the youth outcome area of Healthy Lifestyles. With a membership ranging in ages 5 years old to 18 years old and 87% of those kids living in poverty, the provision of healthy meals and snacks is a critical component to building stronger minds, bodies and souls,” said Dawn McWilliams, Chief Professional Officer. “The funding was used to aid in the upgrade of a commercial kitchen in The Adams Club to prepare healthy meals & snacks and provide a cafeteria style dining area for members to enjoy those delicious meals in the safety of their Club with those caring mentors that guide their positive and productive development.”
Dress for Success Wichita received a $37,966 grant to support its Professional Women’s Group that provides workforce development programming.
“The Walmart grant will allow continued support of our mission to empower women and encourage economic independence through our many programs such as the Tailored Transitions and Professional Women’s Group,” said Portia Portugal, Dress for Success Wichita. “We are very thankful for this opportunity to help women in our community to thrive in their journey through career development.”
Harvesters–The Community Food Network received a $25,000 grant to support nutrition, education and healthy eating efforts in Kansas.
“Across Kansas, one in five children lives in a food-insecure home and is at risk for missing a meal this week,” said Harvesters’ President and CEO Valerie Nicholson-Watson. “This generous support from Walmart enables Harvesters to provide healthy food, including fresh produce, and nutrition education to help low-income children grow strong and healthy.”
Kansas Food Bank received a $50,000 grant that will be used to provide weekend packets of food to chronically hungry children. Through its Food 4 Kids weekend backpack program, the Kansas Food Bank provides packets of kid friendly, nutritious food to children who experience hunger on the weekends.
"We are so grateful to Walmart for this gift," said Larry Gunkel, Food 4 Kids manager, Kansas Food Bank. "Walmart is a great community partner in the fight against hunger. Receipt of this grant will provide more than 11,000 food packets for hungry children."
Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging received a $56,000 grant to support its HOMESTEAD Nutrition Project by purchasing three vehicles to deliver meals to those in need.
“In northwest Kansas, our Nutrition Program covers a lot of miles. Many of the areas we serve are remote and frontier and our meal program may be the only access to food in the community,” said Kristen Schmidt, HOMESTEAD Nutrition Project director for the Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging. “Our hot, nutritious meals help keep people healthy and independent so they can live in their own homes and communities as long as possible. The Walmart State Giving Grant Program helps us to achieve our goal of serving frail, high risk individuals.”
Senior Services of Southeast Kansas, Inc. received a $46,000 grant to support its Meals on Wheels initiative, specifically, to purchase vans to deliver meals to multiple sites located throughout southeast Kansas.
"We wish to thank Walmart for their generous support on behalf of the many senior citizens we serve,” said Jim Miller, Board Treasurer. “For many of the seniors, the home delivered meals allows them to stay independent in their homes."
Urban League of Kansas received a $44,740 grant to support its workforce development program that assists 90 low-income individuals by providing school supplies, uniforms and other additional requirements for enrollment in the Patient Care Assistant program (PCA).
“On behalf of Urban League of Kansas, I’d like to thank Walmart for the Kansas State Giving grant that will support our workforce development program,” said Desmond Blake, Urban League of Kansas. “The grant will help individuals acquire the portable skills, competencies, and credentials needed to secure and retain employment in areas of high demand within the state of Kansas’ healthcare sector.”
In 2013, in Kansas, the Walmart Foundation awarded $8.7 million in cash and in-kind contributions and a total giving of $10.3 million including customer donations. Donations of cash, food, refrigerated trucks, mobile pantries and other resources are changing lives across America. In 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation launched "Fighting Hunger Together" – a $2 billion cash and in-kind commitment through 2015 to fight hunger in America. This initiative leverages Walmart's size and resources to provide nutritious food and the Walmart Foundation's ability to grant funding to nonprofits that help elevate the issue.
To be considered for support, perspective 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. For more information, visit http://foundation.walmart.com/apply-for-grants/state-giving.
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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.
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