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The Walmart Foundation Awards a $600,000 Grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Support of Food Access Program for Youth in Native Communities

WMT | December 13, 2022

BENTONVILLE, AR / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2022 / Walmart: Last month, at the Improving Health in Rural America event at the Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Walmart Foundation announced a $600,000 grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, supporting child nutrition and food access programming for Clubs on Native Lands. The grant comes from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation's Healthier Food for All work that seeks to improve food access and nutritional food programming in geographies with limited healthy food access.

The announcement capped off the Improving Health in Rural America event where a panel of healthcare innovators and leaders gathered to exchange ideas around how to create better health outcomes for rural or underserved areas. Walmart collaborated with Medscape and WebMD to lead this important conversation through a panel discussion and audience engagement, which included attendees from various medical, civic and governmental entities.

"Access to healthier, nutritious food is crucial for the well-being of communities, especially those in rural and underserved areas. This most recent Walmart Foundation grant is building on the success of proven Boys & Girls Clubs of America programs in their Native Services unit, and we're proud to support this great work."

- Naomi Gunnell, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Walmart.org

"Thanks to the generosity of the Walmart Foundation, we are proud of the impact we've made in the lives of youth across Boys & Girls Clubs on Native Lands, and we are thrilled to continue expanding this food access program over the coming years," said Carla Knapp, National Vice President, Native Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "This program not only provides Club members ongoing access to healthy foods, nutrition education and cultural teachings, but it also has a multigenerational, ripple effect - as this generation becomes more aware of food choices and accessibility strategies, they will be equipped to pass along their knowledge to future families of their own."

Earlier this year, Walmart and Medscape worked together to release the first and largest study assessing barriers to care in rural and non-rural communities. The study includes perspectives from 10,000 healthcare providers, weighing in on solutions to care delivery.

About Walmart

Walmart 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, approximately 230 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. With fiscal year 2022 revenue of $573 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 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 corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at twitter.com/walmart and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Nearly 5,000 Clubs serve over 3.6 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter.