OKLAHOMA CITY (September 21, 2015) – Walmart and the Walmart Foundation presented nearly $200,000 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma on Monday inside the Regional Food Bank’s volunteer center. Speakers included:
- Rodney Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
- Cari Ogden, vice president of community initiatives, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
- Councilman Larry McAtee (Ward 3)
- Jarred Crabtree, Walmart market manager
The Walmart Foundation provided $65,000 to the
Regional Food Bank through the Foundation’s State Giving Program to fund the purchase
of a new refrigerated
food delivery truck to transport food produced in the Regional Food Bank’s new, large-scale
production kitchen. The truck will serve
meals to chronically hungry children through the nonprofit’s Food for Kids Summer
Feeding and Kids Cafe programs.
With the capacity to distribute meals produced at an on-site kitchen,
the Regional Food Bank estimates it will be able to provide 1.25 million meals
during a five-year period to children struggling with chronic hunger.
“One in four children in Oklahoma struggles with hunger every day,” said Rodney Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “Thanks to Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, hungry children in central and western Oklahoma have access to nutritious food year round. We are grateful for their continued support in ‘Fighting Hunger…Feeding Hope.’”
Additionally, Oklahoma City residents raised $131,583, for the Regional Food Bank to support those facing hunger in the local community. During Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign, customers had the opportunity to donate to their local Feeding America food bank at a Walmart register, or purchase select products from some of the nation’s leading food companies: Campbell’s, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Kraft, and Unilever. Nationwide, the campaign raised more than $10 million to support Feeding America and its affiliate food banks across the country.
“Walmart, and the Walmart Foundation, understand that organizations, such as the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, are essential to building stronger communities. They share our values and are committed to helping those in need in the communities we serve,” said Jarred Crabtree, Walmart market manager. “Through this grant, we are hopeful that residents in this area will feel a positive effect, and through that effect our impact will be expanded.”
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. For more information about the program and application dates, visit http://foundation.walmart.com/apply-for-grants/state-giving.
As part of Walmart’s $2 billion commitment to fight hunger this year, Walmart stores in Oklahoma donated nearly 20 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 16.5 million meals, in fiscal year 2015. Additionally, in fiscal year 2015, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation donated more than $36 million to local organizations in Oklahoma alone. For more information on Walmart’s fight against hunger, visit http://foundation.walmart.com/our-focus/hunger.
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About the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
The
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is the state’s largest private domestic hunger
relief organization. The nonprofit
provides enough food to feed more than 116,000 hungry Oklahomans each week
through a network of more than 1,200 schools and charitable feeding programs in
53 central and western Oklahoma counties. Since its inception in 1980, the
Regional Food Bank has distributed nearly 600 million pounds of food to feed
Oklahoma’s hungry. For more information,
visit http://www.regionalfoodbank.org; find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/regionalfoodbank or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rfbo.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
By using our strengths to
help others, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation create opportunities for people
to live better every day. We have stores in 27 countries, employing more than
2.2 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in
turn, employ millions of people. We are helping people live better by
accelerating upward job mobility and economic development for the retail
workforce; addressing hunger and making healthier, more sustainably-grown food
a reality; and building strong communities where we operate and inspiring our
associates to give back. Whether it is helping to lead the fight against hunger
in the United States with $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations or
supporting Women’s Economic Empowerment through a series of grants totaling $10
million to the Women in Factories training program in Bangladesh, China, India
and Central America, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are not only working to
tackle key social issues, we are also collaborating with others to inspire
solutions for long-lasting systemic change. To learn more about Walmart’s
giving, visit http://www.foundation.walmart.com.