s New York State Giving Council has awarded $150,000 to three Long Island centers on promoting hunger relief, healthy eating and career opportunities. Walmart donated $50,000 each to Sustainable Long Island, Long Island Cares Inc., and Long Island Council of Churches. At Walmart, it is our mission and passion to support organizations that work to make a difference in said Jason Klipa, Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations for Walmart. “We are proud to support the remarkable work of these nonprofits, as we strive to achieve our goal of creating opportunities that will enable families on Long Island to live better.”
The grant to Sustainable Long Island will support the organization’s food equity program; identifying strategies and initiatives to increase access to fresh, affordable food in historically underserved communities across Long Island. Specifically, the funding will be applied to streamline the ongoing success of Sustainable Long Island’s youth-staffed farmers’ markets through a variety of educational and financial projects. “The Walmart Foundation’s funding will enable us to equip staff and customers with knowledge, resources, and skills to lead healthier lives,” said Amy Engel, Executive Director of Sustainable Long Island. “The main objective of Sustainable Long Island’s program is to not only provide these communities with fresh, affordable produce, but to help them learn more about healthy eating and nutrition in an effort to improve community health.” The grant to Long Island Cares, Inc. will help to establish the organization’s first Mobile School Pantry, partnered with Brentwood Union Free School District. The Mobile School Pantry program will work to alleviate child hunger through the provision of food to children and families at each of the district’s elementary schools. “We’re very grateful to Walmart for their continued support of our work,” said Paule T. Pachter, Chief Executive Officer of Long Island Cares, Inc. “Walmart has been a consistent and generous corporate partner of Long Island Cares, Inc.-The Harry Chapin Food Bank, and their most recent grant to support our new School Pantry program with the Brentwood School District will enable us to provide critical support to many children who face the challenges of food insecurity on a daily basis.” The grant to Long Island Council of Churches will support the organization’s mission to provide emergency food assistance to Long Islanders, and will also supply meals for those with special dietary needs required to stay healthy.
ABOUT THE WALMART FOUNDATION
Launched in 2008, associate-led State Advisory Councils work with the Walmart Foundation to help identify needs within their state, review grant requests and make funding recommendations to the Foundation. The Walmart Foundation will begin accepting grant applications from New York nonprofit organizations for this year’s fourth funding cycle from September 7 until September 13, focusing on areas of education, healthcare access and other human services. Grant submissions are only accepted online at: www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving