This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Local Voices

Walmart Foundation Awards $160,000 to Bay Area Nonprofits

The Walmart Foundation’s California State Giving Program has awarded $160,000 to four Bay Area nonprofits including Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, Valley Verde, Silicon Valley Education Foundation and Meals On Wheels of San Francisco.

 

“We appreciate Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s continued investment in our community,” said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. “These grants will help children achieve greater educational success as well as provide greater access to healthier foods for individuals and families throughout the region.”

Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Twice a year, the Walmart Foundation’s California State Giving Program awards grants to local organizations that address the needs of the communities they serve and make a significant social impact.

Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

“We are proud to support the efforts of these four organizations to achieve our shared goal of helping communities throughout California live better,” said Kim Sentovich, senior vice president for Walmart. “Walmart strongly believes in giving back locally, and we look forward to watching these great organizations continue their work and find new ways to positively impact lives.”

 

The following nonprofits received grants to fund vital local programs that have proven to help those in the Bay Area with improving education, economic empowerment, improving healthy eating, and fighting hunger:

 

Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley received a $25,000 grant to support the Parent Education Academy (PEA) which trains Silicon Valley parents on how to effectively advocate for their children’s future.

 

“With the Walmart Foundation grant, our Parent Education Academy will now be able to educate many more Latino parents who want to help their children graduate from high school and college,” said Ron Gonzales, president & CEO of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. “Our initial PEAs have been a huge success as evaluated by parents and school principals, so we’re thankful for this generous donation to help further our cause.”

 

Valley Verde received a $25,000 grant to support its “Seedlings to Table” project which empowers people to grow their own food.

 

“We are so grateful for this grant from the Walmart Foundation as it will support Valley Verde’s home garden program to teach families how to grow their own vegetables,” said Raul Lozano, founder and executive director of Valley Verde” More than 60 families will be planting their first gardens in April.”

 

Silicon Valley Education Foundation was awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Stepping Up to Algebra project (SUTA) which helps prepare middle school students succeed in algebra.

 

"The Walmart Foundation’s investment in our organization is a terrific addition to our programs and in the future of our students," said Muhammed Chaudhry, president & CEO of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. "This grant will enable us to continue working toward our goal of helping as many students as we can to prepare for college coursework and eventual entry to top colleges and careers.”

 

Meals On Wheels of San Francisco, Inc. (MOWSF) received a $60,000 grant to help nourish homebound seniors.

 

“Over the past five years, MOWSF has doubled the number of homebound seniors and meals it serves in San Francisco, and this year we’ll deliver more than 1.2 million meals to more than 3,000 people,” said Ashley McCumber, CEO and executive director of MOWSF. “This grant – our second largest foundation grant this year – leads the way in ensuring that our clients receive the nutrition and supportive services needed to stay independent and be safe. Because government funding accounts for only 38 percent of MOWSF’s funding, support from corporate partners like Walmart ensures that we can help the seniors we serve live a ‘nourished life.’”

 

Last year in California, the Walmart Foundation and stores throughout the state awarded more than $26 million in cash and in-kind contributions to community groups that are positioned to address the needs of California communities and make a significant social impact within Walmart’s core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment.

 

Earlier this year, Walmart’s California State Giving Program granted $200,000 to four nonprofits from the Bay Area, North Bay and the Silicon Valley: Conservation Corps North Bay (Santa Rosa), Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties (Concord), Rubicon Programs (Richmond) and City Year San Jose. The amount granted to nonprofits in communities throughout the state during the first half of the year totaled $1.4 million.

 

To be considered for support, perspective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program’s online grant application. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria. Additional information about the program’s funding guidelines and application process are available online at www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving. The next application cycle opens on January 19, 2014.

 

# # #

 

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 foundation.walmart.com.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?