Wal-Mart Foundation expands hunger relief efforts

BENTONVILLE, Ark. The Wal-Mart Foundation is donating $7.8 million to support food banks and provide healthy summer meals to children who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year.

Through partnerships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Feeding America and local nonprofits in the 10 states where children are most at risk of hunger, Walmart and The Wal-Mart Foundation will help assure that their neighbors and those in local communities have access to nutritious food.

As more Americans rely on hunger-relief organizations to provide for their families during these tough economic times, Walmart's philanthropic arm is expanding its hunger relief efforts in three ways:

• Feeding Hungry Children - A $1.2 million grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of America that will purchase healthy meals for more than 93,000 children who are being serviced by 350 Boys & Girls Clubs Chapters across the United States this summer. An additional $250,000 in grants will be awarded to summer feeding programs in Texas, Mississippi, the District of Columbia, Tennessee, Arizona, South Carolina, Louisiana, Missouri, Maine and North Carolina -- the top states for child hunger, according to Feeding America.
• Food Bank Support - A $3 million commitment is expected to deliver more than 30 new refrigerator trucks to food banks across the United States, enabling donated food to be transported safely to food pantries, soup kitchens and other agencies served by Feeding America.
• Food Donation - Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations expect to meet their goal of 90 million lbs. of food donated by December. To date, the company's food donation program has provided more than 59.8 million lbs. of fresh produce, meat and other nutritious foods to U.S. food banks.

"We continue to see the impact that the economy is having on our neighbors. They are stretching their budgets and looking to us for help in our stores and through our giving," said Margaret McKenna, president of The Wal-Mart Foundation. "Hunger relief is a cause that enables our company's strengths to work for the greater good. From supporting summer feeding programs to donating food, we're committed to doing all we can to help end hunger for our nation's children, parents, homeless and all who have found themselves in need."

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