Walmart and the Walmart Foundation Award Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore Over $300,000 to Support Hunger Relief Efforts in the Region

walmart working together

Norfolk, VA—September 25, 2018 — Walmart today announced its continued commitment to hunger relief efforts in the Hampton Roads region during a press conference at its Virginia Beach store on Lynnhaven Parkway. Executives highlighted the company’s support of The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore — particularly around programs and services aimed at assisting children, seniors, and working families facing food insecurity. Within the last year, Walmart contributed a total of $307,488 to the Foodbank and more than 2.3 million pounds of food via weekly pickups from area stores.

“Across Hampton Roads, there are families struggling with hunger and we are committed to doing our part to assist,” said Jason Robinson, Market Manager for Walmart. “By working together with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, we can help provide meals that will help those in our community who need it most.”

In effort to help the Foodbank extend its footprint in the community in the wake of recent shifts in the economy and changes in the political landscape, Walmart awarded the organization a series of capacity building grants.

  • In 2017, Walmart awarded the Foodbank a $50,000 capacity building grant to launch SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) outreach efforts — resulting in 400 completed SNAP applications, which generated more than $1.8 million in local economic impact. As important, the donation provided more than 325,000 meals to hungry families.
  • In early 2018, Walmart awarded the Foodbank a $75,000 capacity building grant to purchase refrigerated trailers for Partner Agencies — used for the Food Rescue Program.
  • More recently in September 2018, the Foodbank received an additional $75,000 capacity building grant to fund food distribution and client data tracking; support refrigeration for its Food Pharmacy Concept in Chesapeake, Norfolk, or Virginia Beach; and ensure sustainability of the BackPack Program.

In addition, as part of Walmart’s 5th Annual “Fight Hunger, Spark Change” in-store campaign, the company raised more than $107,488 to help sustain food assistance programs that serve the estimated 166,250 food insecure families in Southeastern Virginia and on the Eastern Shore.

“As we look for ways to become more efficient and innovative in our efforts to eliminate hunger, strategic partnerships that really help to move the needle are especially important,” said Ruth Jones Nichols, CEO, Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. “We are grateful for Walmart’s contribution, and look forward to expanding our programs through their continued support.”

About Walmart in Virginia

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 270 million customers and members visit our more than 11,700 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and eCommerce websites. We are proud to employ 44,000 associates in our 155 stores, Sam’s Clubs and four distribution centers in Virginia. Walmart supports local businesses, spending $ 2.6 billion with Virginia suppliers in FY17, which supported more than 40,000 supplier jobs. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

About the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore

For over 35 years, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore has provided over 261 million meals to those in our community who face hunger. Through our programs, facilities, and large network of community partners, we “eliminate hunger” on a daily basis for many. However, we understand that our current work addresses hunger for individuals in the short term. It does not address the root causes which force individuals to return to a food pantry again and again. This understanding has led to the creation of a new 3-year strategic plan aimed to move Hampton Roads closer to achieving the mission of eliminating hunger for those we serve – not only for the day, or for the week, but for a lifetime. For up-to-date information on the Foodbank, visit www.foodbankonline.org, Facebook, or Twitter.

Press Release Media Contact:

Kelli Webb, The KBD Group
kelliwebb@thekbdgroup.com
(757) 606-0281