Funding is part of $33 million in nationwide hunger grants awarded by Walmart and the Walmart Foundation

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announce $34,750 in grants to Houston nonprofits to fund local hunger programs and help provide meals to people who need them the most. The grants to Houston hunger relief programs are part of more than $33 million in grants given to nonprofits nationwide and illustrate Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s commitment to fight hunger.

The $34,750 in Walmart and Walmart Foundation funding will help Houston-area children and families through the following programs:

• Houston Parks and Recreation Department received $20,000 to provide meals and nutrition education to children through its local park at recreation agencies.
• YMCA of the Greater Houston Area received $12,500 to provide meal programs for students and increase families’ access to healthy food, like fruits and vegetables, through state and federal nutrition assistance programs.
• Houston Food Bank received $1,250 and CAN DO Houston received $1,000 to provide eight-week cooking courses and “Cooking Matters at the Store” shopping tours, and to create and pilot a self-guided nutrition education application.

“Walmart is dedicated to ensuring every family has access to healthy and affordable food,” said Dale Murphy, Vice President and Regional General Manager of the Texas South Central Division of Walmart. “We’re proud to work with CAN DO Houston, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, YMCA of the Greater Houston Area and the Houston Food Bank to support hunger relief and nutrition education for Houston families in need.”

The USDA reported that in 2015, 42.2 million people in America, including more than 13.1 million children, lived in households at risk of struggling with hunger. The Walmart and Walmart Foundation grants will fund nutrition education and meal programs for youth, and increase families’ access to fruits and vegetables through state and federal nutrition assistance programs.

In October of 2014, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announced a commitment to create a more sustainable food system, with a focus on improving affordability 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. The commitment includes a goal of providing four billion meals to those in need by 2020.

About Walmart in Texas
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. In Texas, we serve customers at 596 retail units and online through Walmart Grocery Pickup, Walmart.com and Jet.com. We are proud to employ 176,088 associates in Texas. Walmart supports local businesses, spending over $19.5 billion with Texas suppliers in FY16, which supported 2,643 Texas supplier jobs. As part of our commitment to fight hunger, we give back to Texas communities with over $114 million in cash and in-kind donations to local nonprofits. Learn more at the Walmart Today blog, and our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram channels.