Walmart launches nationwide initiative to take action in the fight against hunger, the spring Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign

Walmart and six suppliers aim to donate enough to help Feeding America secure 75 million meals for affiliate food banks across the country

BENTONVILLE, ARK., 2015-4-7 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today, Walmart launches the spring Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, a nationwide initiative inviting the public to take action in the fight against hunger. Working with some of the nation’s leading food companies – Campbell’s, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Kraft, and Unilever – Walmart is offering the 140 million customers that shop at its stores each week three easy ways to help families in need in their local communities. Through the campaign, Walmart aims to donate up to $3 million to Feeding America based on customer participation in the #WeSparkChange social media challenge and Walmart’s suppliers aim to donate enough to help Feeding America secure 75 million meals for affiliate food banks across the country.

The Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign comes at a critical time when one in six people in America struggle with hunger at some point during the year, according to the USDA. In addition, food banks are facing the time of year known as the “spring hunger gap” when food supply is often at its lowest level. To raise awareness and help provide meals to those in need, Walmart and its suppliers are inviting customers to take action in store and online to generate support for Feeding America and its nationwide network of 200 food banks.

“At Walmart, we believe every family should have access to affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food, but this is not the reality for millions of Americans. An extraordinary 49 million Americans struggle with hunger and don’t know where their next meal will come from at some point during the year,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and senior vice president of Walmart sustainability. “This spring, we’re making it easy for our customers to give back to those in need in their local community by taking simple actions in store or sharing photos online. With the support of our customers and partnerships with our suppliers and Feeding America, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a network of member food banks, we can make a real difference for families facing hunger across the U.S.”

From April 6 through May 3, customers can fight hunger and spark change in three easy ways:

  1. Take the #WeSparkChange Challenge: Customers can take a picture of six friends who share their commitment to fight hunger, representing the one in six people who may struggle with hunger in the U.S. Then, post the picture on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter as a public post with the hashtag #WeSparkChange. For each public post connected to the hashtag #WeSparkChange, Walmart will donate $10, up to a maximum donation of $1.5 million, to Feeding America on behalf of its affiliate food banks. To help generate more donations, customers can post multiple pictures, tagging friends and challenging them to take their own photo within 48 hours. To kick-off the challenge, Walmart will make an initial donation of $1.5 million to Feeding America, with the goal of reaching a total donation of $3 million based on the public’s participation, enough to help secure 30 million meals.
  2. Buy Participating Products: Purchase one of 240 participating products in Walmart stores nationwide and the supplier will make a donation to help Feeding America secure a meal on behalf of a local food bank. For every item purchased, a meal will be secured for the local Feeding America food bank in that area.
  3. Donate at the Register: For the first time, customers can make a donation on behalf of their local Feeding America food bank at the register during checkout.

“At Feeding America, our mission is to engage the country in the fight to end hunger, and this spring we’re proud to build upon our strong partnership with Walmart to encourage their millions of customers to get involved,” said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America. “The campaign is the latest example of Walmart engaging its suppliers, customers and associates with new and creative ways to help families struggling with hunger have access to the food they need.”

The Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is just one step toward Walmart’s larger commitment to provide meals to those in need, helping ensure every family has access to affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food. As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is in a unique leadership position to help impact the issue of hunger in the United States. Last year, Walmart announced a commitment to create a more sustainable food system, with a focus on improving the affordability of food by lowering the “true cost” of food for both customers and the environment, increasing access to food, making healthier eating easier, and improving the safety and transparency of the food chain. This commitment includes a goal of providing four billion meals to those in need in the U.S. over the next five years.

To learn more about the campaign, including details on participating products, visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, 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, more than 250 million customers and members visit our 11,462 stores under 71 banners in 27 countries and e- commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 sales of nearly $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. 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. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

MEDIA RELATIONS

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Walmart Foundation launches nationwide campaign calling on the public to get involved in the fight against hunger

Teaming up with Celebrity Chef G. Garvin and Six of the Nation’s Largest Food Companies, the Campaign will Provide $3.7 Million in Donations to Feeding America Food Banks Across the United States

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2014-9-16— /EPR Retail News/ — Today (Sept.15, 2014), the Walmart Foundation launches Fight Hunger. Spark Change., a nationwide campaign calling on the public to get involved in the fight against hunger. The campaign will provide $3.7 million in grants to participating Feeding America food banks and local partner agencies that provide hunger relief to millions of people in need of food assistance. As part of the initiative, Walmart is teaming up with acclaimed chef, cookbook author and TV host, G. Garvin, and calling on the public to support their local food banks by voting online at www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

The initiative launches during a critical time in our nation when food banks are facing a growing need for donations due to historically high rates of food insecurity. Feeding America recently released its Hunger in America 2014 report showing that in a single year one in seven Americans, including 12 million children, turn to the Feeding America food bank network for food assistance. To help Feeding America meet this need, Walmart is teaming up with six of the nation’s largest food companies – including General Mills, Unilever, Hormel, ConAgra Foods, PepsiCo/Quaker and Kellogg Company – to support food banks and local partner agencies across the country.

“Hunger remains a serious issue in our country as millions of Americans don’t know where their next meal will come from. By engaging our associates, customers and suppliers in the fight against hunger, we can make a positive impact on this issue and ensure families have access to the healthier and nutritious food they need,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and senior vice president of Walmart Sustainability. “Through this initiative, we’re giving everyone in America the opportunity to make a difference by simply voting online for their local food bank.”

From September 15 through October 5, customers can visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger to cast one vote per day that will help direct grants to participating Feeding America food banks and local partner agencies across the country. The 50 winning food banks will each receive a $60,000 grant. The campaign also provides information on how customers can donate or volunteer to take a direct action in the fight against hunger in their local communities.

“One of my biggest passions as a chef is showing people how simple it can be to make healthy and delicious meals for their families,” said Chef Garvin. “Walmart’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is making it simple and fun for the public to get involved and will help ensure all families have access to the healthy and nutritious food they need. I could not be more proud to support a cause that matters so much to so many.”

Through the initiative, the monetary equivalent of more than 37 million meals¹ will be donated to Feeding America food banks and local agencies throughout the United States.

“At Feeding America, we believe no one in America should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from so we are proud to continue our partnership with Walmart to help make this vision a reality,” said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. “Through this initiative, Walmart, along with its associates, customers and suppliers will make a lasting impact in helping to reduce hunger in America.”

As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is in a unique leadership position to impact the issue of hunger in the United States and joining with customers, suppliers, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations will only help magnify its efforts.

The Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is just one step towards Walmart’s larger commitment to provide meals to those in need, and give more people access to nutrition education. As part of that commitment, Walmart is also working to ensure the food donated is fresh and a healthy alternative.

To participate in the voting campaign, learn more about the program, including details on participating products, visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

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About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts that draw on the strengths of Walmart in the arenas of sustainability, economic opportunity, and community. As part of our commitment to creating a more sustainable food system worldwide, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States. They recently exceeded a $2 billion commitment to fight hunger one year ahead of schedule and have donated more than 1.5 billion pounds of food to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit www.foundation.walmart.com.

¹In January 2014, Walmart donated the monetary equivalent of 33 million meals ($3.3 million) to Feeding America. In September 2014, the six participating food companies (General Mills, Unilever, Hormel, ConAgra Foods, PepsiCo/Quaker and Kellogg Company) have collectively pledged to donate the monetary equivalent of 4.26 million meals ($426,000). $1 helps provide 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.

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