Walmart Foundation Donates $350,000 to Ohio Families Through Foodbank Network and Home Energy Assistance Program
December 14 2009 - 4:11PM
PR Newswire (US)
Major donation will provide direct food assistance, leverage state
& federal funds, and help heat families' homes throughout state
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In response to
the increasing number of Ohio families in crisis, the Walmart
Foundation (NYSE: WMT) today announced a $250,000 grant to the Ohio
Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks (OASHF), Ohio's largest
charitable response to hunger, and a $100,000 grant to the Home
Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), a federally funded program
administered by the Ohio Department of Development, to help
low-income Ohioans pay their utility bills. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/DA25798-a) (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/DA25798-b) The
contributions were announced during an event held today at the Ohio
Benefit Bank Direct Services office in downtown Columbus with Ohio
Governor Ted Strickland, David Gose, director of operations - Ohio
for Walmart Stores and Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, OASHF executive
director. "The Walmart Foundation's donations serve as a great
example of a corporation choosing to support the community and
directly help people in need," Strickland said. "As the state of
Ohio does everything it can to address the needs of our people, we
welcome the opportunity to work with all those in the private
sector who can invest in programs that help Ohioans who are
struggling this winter season." The donation to OASHF will: --
Provide $75,000 for OASHF to buy 625,000 pounds of shelf-stable and
highly nutritious foods; personal care items; and household
cleaning products for 75,000 Ohio households. -- Allow OASHF to use
$150,000 to leverage more than $1 million in state and federal
funding, which will be used to support 100 national and state
AmeriCorps VISTA and AmeriCorps State members at foodbanks
throughout Ohio. -- Enable OASHF to earmark $25,000 to help enroll
7,000 new low-income children in Ohio's Summer Food Service
Program. The Walmart Foundation donation will help OASHF coordinate
and provide tens of thousands of hours of volunteer community
services, including engagement of Walmart associates and others in
community projects through "Make A Difference Day-Ohio;" the "9/11
Day of Remembrance;" "Martin Luther King" activities; and
"AmeriCorps Week." It also will help fund expansion of The Ohio
Benefit Bank, which provides free tax assistance to low-income
Ohioans and assists them in accessing other support services. The
AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer will be active in a number of
anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs, including such things as
community gardens, community clean up and Walmart store pick-up
programs. "This donation comes at a time when our network of hunger
relief is under enormous strain," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, OASHF
executive director. "Walmart's response to this growing hunger
crisis in Ohio will help many vulnerable Ohioans at a critical
time." "Walmart and its Foundation recognizes that local
communities are facing greater hunger needs than ever before, with
more families seeking assistance from their local foodbanks," said
Gose, of Walmart. "Our partnership with Ohio's foodbanks and the
HEAP program reflects our corporate commitment to doing more to
help the organizations that help all Ohioans in need. With so many
families struggling to put food on their tables and pay their bills
in the continually challenging economic climate, we wanted to do
our part to help keep their families warm and fed this winter." The
contributions were made possible through the Walmart Foundation's
Ohio State Giving Program. Through this program, the Walmart
Foundation supports organizations that 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 Ohio State Giving Program
awarded more than $535,000 in 2008 and $800,000 in 2009 to local
organizations such as the Ohio Child ID program, the Foundation for
Appalachian Ohio and the Boys & Girls Clubs. In Ohio, a team of
local associates determines needs within each state, review
eligible grant applications and make funding recommendations to the
Walmart Foundation. "Corporate partners are invaluable to our
efforts," said Ms. Hamler-Fugitt. "We thank Walmart for their
leadership in joining the fight against hunger, especially during a
holiday season when far too many Ohioans are struggling to put food
on the table." Ohio's foodbanks play a comprehensive role in hunger
relief - from securing donations to collecting, warehousing and
distributing food through the emergency food network. Nearly 3,000
foodbanks and member charities serve all 88 counties each year -
with households that include children and seniors, urban and rural
residents, those who are healthy or disabled, and those who are
working or looking for work. To be considered for support,
perspective grantee organizations must submit applications through
the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program's online grant
application. Eligible applicants must have a current 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt status in order to meet the program's minimum funding
criteria. Additional information about the program's funding
guidelines and application process are available online at
http://www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving. About Philanthropy at
Walmart Stores, Inc. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud
to support the charitable causes that are important to customers
and associates in their own neighborhoods. Through its
philanthropic programs and partnerships, the Walmart Foundation
funds initiatives focused on creating opportunities in education,
workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental
sustainability, and health and wellness. From February 1, 2008
through January 31, 2009, Walmart - and its domestic and
international foundations - gave more than $423 million in cash and
in-kind gifts globally. To learn more, visit
http://www.walmartfoundation.org/. About the Ohio Association of
Second Harvest Foodbanks OASHF is Ohio's largest charitable
response to hunger, representing 12 foodbanks and 3,000 member
charities including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. Last
year, OASHF and its network of providers distributed more than
113.7 million pounds of food and grocery items. For more
information regarding Ohio foodbanks and Ohio's hunger relief
programs, please visit OASHF online at http://www.oashf.org/ or
call 614/221-4336. For more information about the Ohio Association
of Second Harvest Foodbanks or the Ohio Benefit Bank or to
determine potential eligibility for public benefits, visit
http://www.obb.ohio.gov/ or call 1-800-648-1146.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/DA25798-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090914/WALMARTLOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/DA25798-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Walmart Stores, Inc.
CONTACT: Tim Miller or Diane Hurd +1-614-224-0600; or Lisa
Hamler-Fugitt of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks,
+1-614-221-4336; or Megan Grote or Edward Howard for Walmart
Stores, Inc., +1-937-751-8063 Web Site:
http://www.walmartfoundation.org/ http://www.oashf.org/
http://www.obb.ohio.gov/
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