Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by the Walmart Foundation. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 
I’ve shared stories about my picky eaters; kids who have the privilege of requesting the meals they want and, dare I say it, even think it’s ok to waste it when they’re full despite my warnings to not waste food.
Yes, my kids are fortunate and privileged, but sadly, there are many kids who are far less fortunate. In fact, according to the USDA, in 2015, 42.2 million people in America, including more than 13.1 million children, lived in households at risk of struggling with hunger. We think about these kids even more so this back-to-school season, as it is is even more important for kids to get enough healthy food to thrive in the classroom.
To help, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have awarded 11 grants totaling $33 million to national nonprofits across the country, helping to provide year-long meals, breakfast in the classroom, nutrition education, as well as increase access to healthy food, like fruits and vegetables, through state and federal nutrition assistance programs. The goal is to provide 57 million meals to support nearly 1.5 million people in communities across the country.
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are working with long-standing grant partners to fund the following programs:
o Chef Ann Foundation: $350,000 grant provides 101 grants to help schools increase fresh fruit and vegetable procurement, increase participation in the Department of Defense’s Fruit and Vegetable program at 50 schools and provide at least six hours of nutrition education and fruit and vegetable tastings to 35,000 children.
o National League of Cities: $2 million grant to fund year-long meal programs that will provide 2.5 million year-long meals to 32,000 school-aged children across the U.S. by leveraging the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program.
o National Recreation & Park Association: $2.5 million grant to provide 18 million meals to 600,000 children and nutrition education to 150,000 children through its local park and recreation agencies.
o Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom: $7.5 million grant providing funding to support 10.8 million federally reimbursed school breakfast meals through an expansion of the consortium’s state-based universal breakfast strategy.
o Share Our Strength: $5.75 million grant to provide eight-week cooking courses and Cooking Matters at the Store shopping tours to 153,000 participants and to create and pilot a self-guided nutrition education application that aims to serve 25,000 people.
• An additional $17.5 million in funding was also provided through grants to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Children’s Hunger Alliance, Food Research and Action Center, Single Stop USA, and Y-USA. The organizations are using the grant funds to provide meal programs for students and increase families’ access to healthy food, like fruits and vegetables, through state and federal nutrition assistance programs.
About Walmart’s Commitment to Hunger:
• Walmart and the Walmart Foundation believe that everyone should have access to safe, affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food. The grants we awarded to 11 nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to hunger relief are the latest example of our ongoing commitment to provide food to people when they need it most.
• As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is uniquely positioned to lead on the issue of hunger in the U.S
• Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed to providing four billion meals to those who need them between 2015 and 2020. We’re aiming to reach this goal through a combination of grants to charitable organizations and hunger relief programs, as well as through food donations from our Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers.
To learn more about Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s commitments to fighting hunger and providing nutrition education, visit giving.walmart.com.
Walmart is doing an amazing job! And I didn’t know about this, thank you for sharing!
I like companies that help with hunger. I have been in times when I did not know where my next meal was.
Those statistics are heartbreaking. Thankfully companies like these are helping out.
Nutrition education is so important so that children grow up knowing what they should be eating to keep healthy and fit. Thanks for sharing.
You know I read something recently about how if restaurants or grocery stores didn’t constantly throw away the food produce or the food that just wasn’t shaped right as pretty as what they’d like on display, you could feed all the poor in America and then some. I think there’s definitely ways businesses can help in this endeavor. I’m glad Wal-Mart is trying.
Anyone that helps fight hunger is a-okay in my book!! Hurray to Walmart for stepping up to help.
This is such a great cause, I really respect companies that cares about the real issues in the world
It is always saddening and shocking when you read the stats of how many families are suffering. Glad companies like walmart are doing something to help.
Wow, this is a great cause. I want to shop at Walmart and support this advocacy!
Oh, very good job, Walmart! I hate to see kids who are going hungry, this is very nice.
I am so glad to hear about this campaign. Walmart has a huge heart, I hope they continue this.
Wow, I am so thankful that Walmart do this. What a lovely move!
Unfortunately there are plenty of kids who are left hungry all over the world and although we can’t beat hunger in an instant, we can definitely help with lessening it bit by bit. This is an awesome opportunity to help out.
Great post! It is good to know good companies care about health!
I love when companies take an interest in kids health and nutrition needs! I hadn’t heard of this from Walmart yet!
This is such an amazing cause!! I really love it.
It is so sad to read about hunger, especially child hunger. Thanks to Walmart for doing a great job in combating this modern day problem. I hope more companies would follow suit.
It is amazing that the foundation can fight hunger, child hunger is such a problematic issue that needs to be addressed. Walmart are doing a good job.
Child hunger just breaks my heart – as it should. Glad to see Walmart giving back.
I love this advocacy. Two thumbs up for Walmart, great job guys!
Oh, this is lovely. I wish there are more companies like Walmart.
I love that they are giving back. Great job Walmart!
I had no idea about this! Looks like Walmart is doing a great job!
I’m glad they’re contributing to a series of programs. This makes me so happy!
This is such a wonderful effort on the part of Walmart. Thanks so much for helping bring attention to it 🙂
I am so glad that Walmart is committed to helping getting rid of hunger. I love when companies contribute to social issues.
wow, how thoughtful of them. This is such a great campaign. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, $33 million is a great amount to give to those in need. I also enjoy reading about companies that help the community.
I love to see big companies give back and Walmart seems to do that a lot. Warms my heart!
Omg what a great campaign!!! Love it when big companies actually give back!
I love that Walmart is doing this! Good Job Walmart!
oh, its so sad to see those numbers… I am so happy that there great companies who are giving back to the society 🙂