FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Neighborhood House receives contribution from Walmart
LOUISVILLE, Ky. April 20, 2015 – The Walmart Foundation and Neighborhood House, a non-profit agency based in Portland, are partnering to reduce hunger and poor nutrition endemic within local communities living in poverty. Walmart presented Neighborhood House with a $25,000 contribution to support the agency’s programming and its focus on providing sustainable healthy eating practices.
“Supporting efforts to build stronger communities is one of the best investments any company can make,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “The support from Walmart and other community-minded organizations is critical to the work Neighborhood House is doing to improve the lives of Louisville families.”
The funds also will be used to support Neighborhood House’s Emergency Food Bank. The food bank is open five days a week and is an important resource to eliminating hunger within the Portland community. Last year Neighborhood House’s food bank served over 2,400 individuals.
“Ensuring the food bank is open, especially on a Friday when children and students are not able to receive meals at school, is vital to this community,” said Pam Rice, Executive Director for Neighborhood House. “This donation Walmart is providing will allow us to supplement the donations we receive through the Dare to Care food bank and continue to provide our clients with nutritional and well balanced meals.”
Finally, the Walmart contribution supports educational programming for school-aged youth focused on healthy eating. The program, called “Garden to Table”, assists youth in learning how to build a garden and grow vegetables and fruits. Each will benefit from local chefs who will teach youth and their families how to cook nutritionally balanced meals on a reduced budget. Food literacy also will be an area of focus.
“Educational programs on nutrition are the key to getting the community back on track and living healthy lifestyles,” said Walmart Market Manager David Combs. “Neighborhood House is an important organization serving the Portland community and we are proud to support the great work they do.”
Educational programming will run late spring through the summer during regular Youth Development Program hours and throughout the 2015 summer program, Dreamers’ Academy. The summer program serves children living in low income neighborhoods. Neighborhood House is hoping to raise sufficient funds for their summer program to admit all children on their waiting list in need of a safe learning-focused summer program.
About Neighborhood House
Neighborhood House, established in 1896, is a non-profit community center serving Portland and surrounding neighborhoods. The agency serves individuals ranging in age from infants to senior adults. The agency’s notable work on breaking the cycle of poverty earned it the attention of Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall. She recently visited Neighborhood House to meet the children and families served and thank staff, donors and volunteers for their commitment.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 1 billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit www.foundation.walmart.com.
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