Walmart Donates $1.5 Million to Help Share Our Strength® Expand Family Nutrition Education Programs in the U.S.

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Jul 22, 2010, 09:46 ET

Healthy Low-Cost Cooking Programs Make Nutrition More Accessible

WASHINGTON, July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Share Our Strength® Founder and Executive Director Bill Shore today announced that the organization received a $1.5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to support and expand their nutrition education programs for low-income families in the United States.

The grant will expand the number of markets that offer Share Our Strength's nutrition-based cooking classes that help families help themselves by teaching them how to prepare healthy, low-cost meals. Walmart's investment will allow Share Our Strength to reach 11,000 families annually, by expanding these courses to three to five additional markets within the year. The program's culinary and nutrition volunteers currently teach hundreds of nutrition education courses in 26 markets nationwide. In the coming weeks, Share Our Strength will be distributing nearly $400,000 of the Walmart funds to these local markets to support their new outreach and education efforts.

The grant is part of Walmart's recently announced $2 billion commitment to help end hunger in America through its "Fighting Hunger Together" initiative, which includes giving $250 million in grants to hunger relief organizations and donating more than 1.1 billion pounds of food from Walmart stores, distribution centers and Sam's Club locations, valued at $1.75 billion.

"Providing daily healthy meals is the best way to end the hunger crisis that affect millions of children in America," said Shore. "Walmart's generous grant will make a positive difference for thousands of families and children across our country."

Walmart's support will also make possible the launch of Supermarket Smarts, Share Our Strength's first nationwide program that will teach families budget-wise ways to select and purchase healthy foods. Walmart's grant will enable Share Our Strength to reach thousands of children under the age of five who are in childcare centers through Eating Smart from the Start, a program dedicated to helping kids develop healthy eating habits at an early age.

"We're committed to fighting childhood hunger—it's a key part to our work to help end hunger in America," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation. "Our partnership with Share Our Strength provides families, especially children, with access to healthy, affordable food. This innovative program will help thousands of families make smart eating decisions, regardless of income level."

Share Our Strength, the leading organization working to ensure that no child goes hungry in America, has been teaching low-income families how to cook better for less since 1993. For nearly seventeen years, professional chefs and nutritionists have been volunteering their time and expertise to lead hands-on courses that teach adults, teens and kids how to get the most nutrition out of a limited budget.

More information on Walmart's Fighting Hunger initiative can be found at www.walmart.com/fightinghunger.

About Share Our Strength®

Share Our Strength®,a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry™ campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs, invests in community organizations fighting hunger, teaches families how to cook healthy meals on a budget, and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger, both nationally and at the state level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved in the No Kid Hungry campaign.

About Philanthropy at Walmart

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. The Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. From Feb. 1, 2009 through Jan. 31, 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $512 million in cash and in-kind gifts globally, $467 million of which was donated in the U.S. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

CONTACT: Theresa Burton, (202) 478-6522 office, [email protected]

SOURCE Share Our Strength