Walmart Foundation Supports Education, Women's Empowerment & Healthy Eating Initiatives in Washington, DC

The Walmart Foundation today announced that in an effort to further its commitment to build better communities, the organization’s State Giving Program donated $125,000 in grants to three DC-based not-for-profit organizations: Higher Achievement, N Street Village & YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. 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.

“The Walmart Foundation is proud to support this cycle’s three State Giving Program grantees – N Street Village, Higher Achievement and the YMCA - as they embody the foundation’s mission of creating opportunities so people can live better,” said Jennifer Hoehn, Director of Public Affairs for Walmart. “Each of these organizations is doing their part to forge a stronger community by working to expand available resources, increase opportunity and improve the quality of life for our neighbors across the city.”

N Street Village received a $50,000 donation from the Walmart Foundation to support their work empowering homeless and low-income women in DC and providing services to help them achieve stability and make meaningful gains in their housing, income, employment, mental health, physical health and addiction recovery.

“With the Walmart Foundation’s support, we’ll provide over 33,000 nutritious meals to nearly 1,400 women and families,” said Ann McCreedy, Grants Manager of N Street Village. “More than just meals, the Walmart Foundation is supporting an opportunity for engagement and connection. After a woman finishes eating, our staff invites her into conversation and helps her complete a District-wide assessment that can qualify her for housing. She is also encouraged to connect to our health center on site and provided referrals for other needed resources.”

In an effort to help close the opportunity gap for middle school students in under-resourced communities in Washington, DC, the Walmart Foundation donated $45,000 to support Higher Achievement. The organization works to leverage the power of communities to provide rigorous year-round learning environment, caring role models, and a culture of high expectations, resulting in college-bound scholars with the character, confidence, and skills to succeed.

“Higher Achievement is deeply grateful for the support of the Walmart Foundation and honored to collaborate on the important mission of closing the opportunity gap for middle school students in Washington, DC,” said Katherine Roboff, DC Metro Executive Director of Higher Achievement Program. “The Walmart Foundation’s grant means we will be able to offer more life-changing opportunities – weekly mentors, overnight college stays, field trips and high school placement – to even more young people in DC.”

Through its $30,000 grant to the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, the Walmart Foundation will continue its commitment to helping people live better. The contribution will support the YMCA’s ‘Fit and Well Seniors’ program which caters to the wellness, education and socialization needs of DC residents age 55 years and older. The program incorporates health and lifestyle assessments and activities, inter-generational activities and social clubs.

“Volunteers and philanthropic companies, such as the Walmart Foundation, empower the Y to serve those most in need in our under-resourced neighborhoods in DC, including vulnerable seniors,” said Janice Williams, Senior Vice President of Program Development at YMCA. “The Walmart Foundation grant means we can continue to offer nutrition education through our critically needed YMCA Fit & Well Seniors Program to at-risk seniors in DC.”

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.

About Philanthropy at Walmart

By using our strengths to help others, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation create opportunities for people to live better every day. We have stores in 28 countries, employing more than 2.2 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. We are helping people live better by accelerating upward job mobility and economic development for the retail workforce; addressing hunger and making healthier, more sustainably-grown food a reality; and building strong communities where we operate and inspiring our associates to give back. Whether it is helping to lead the fight against hunger in the United States with $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations or supporting Women’s Economic Empowerment through a series of grants totaling $10 million to the Women in Factories training program in Bangladesh, China, India and Central America, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are not only working to tackle key social issues, we are also collaborating with others to inspire solutions for long-lasting systemic change. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit www.foundation.walmart.com.

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