Second Harvest Community Food Bank received a $45,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program to assist with providing nutritious food to area families. Specifically, this grant will positively impact the local community by providing for food acquisition and distribution in the 15 Missouri counties Second Harvest serves. Funding will assist with acquisition, storage, transportation and delivery of the food.
“We are excited to receive this support from the Walmart Foundation,” Chad Higdon, Executive Director of Second Harvest said. “Walmart’s support is sincerely appreciated and extremely valuable in helping us to fulfill our mission to nourish our neighbors through sustainable initiatives, education and advocacy.”
Second Harvest is a food bank that serves 19 counties in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas. It acquires and distributes to 100 partner agencies and through direct service programs. The programs are guided by four initiatives: Nourishing Families, Nourishing Children, Nourishing Seniors and Nourishing Neighborhoods. Second Harvest was founded in 1981 by a group of concerned citizens who saw a great need for food assistance in the region. Since then, Second Harvest has distributed over 65 million pounds of food to the service area.
The Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better, awarding grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.
“At the Walmart Foundation, we understand that organizations such as Second Harvest Community Food Bank are essential to building stronger communities. They share our values and are committed to helping Missourians in need live better,” Anne Hatfield, Walmart Director of Communications said. “Through this donation, we are hopeful that residents in need in Northwest Missouri will benefit from the purchase and distribution of nutritious protein and low fat dairy foods.”
As part of Walmart’s $2 billion commitment to fight hunger through 2015, the 145 Walmart stores in Missouri donated a total of 23.7 million pounds of food, in fiscal year 2014, or the equivalent of 19.7 million meals. In fact, Walmart reached $260 million in cash and $2.6 billing in in-kind donations nationwide, delivering on its commitment one year early. Additionally, just in the last fiscal year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave $43.3 million to Missouri nonprofits.