FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The Wal-Mart Foundation has given $110,000 in grants (ranging from $20,000 - $50,000 per organization) to the Broward Children’s Center, Broward Partnership for the Homeless and the Covenant House of Florida. These funds will help fill budgetary gaps as the worsening economy reduces private, corporate, and government donations.

The Broward Children’s Center’s $50,000 grant will support Kids Klinic, a non-profit pediatric primary care clinic that provides quality, family-centered healthcare to children and young adults from low-income families. Specifically, the funds will be used to maximize Kids Klinic’s capacity to provide more local children with both preventative and primary medical care and education.

“This generous donation will help us fill a significant health need in our community, and we couldn’t be more grateful for Wal-Mart’s local giving program and its investment in the health of our shared community,” said Thor Barraclough, Executive Director of Broward Children’s Center.  “We will now be able to provide completely free check-ups critical to the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged and at-risk children.”

A $40,000 grant, awarded to Broward Partnership for the Homeless, will help the organization’s Workforce Development Center offer vocational assistance, training, education, and job coaching and placement for the homeless. The purpose of the center is to improve its residents’ ability to enter the workforce with permanent employment at wages that will sustain permanent housing.

“This very timely donation from Wal-Mart will help us to continue providing Broward County’s homeless men, women and families with the tools they need to secure a job and become self-sufficient,” said Katie Foster, Chief Development & Communication Officer.   

The third Wal-Mart donation in the amount of $20,000 will benefit the program, dubbed Y.E.S. (Youth Enrichment Services), at the Covenant House of Florida. This program will provide 750 at-risk, abused and disadvantaged homeless young adults with the life and job skills they need to ensure a bright future.

“We are extremely thankful to Wal-Mart for this much needed gift,” said James M. Gress, Covenant House Florida Executive Director. “With this extra support, we can dedicate more time and resources to help our troubled youth become successful and contributing members of our community.”

All three grants are part of the second wave of giving for the State Giving Program (SGP), a new Wal-Mart Foundation program. Through the SGP, the Wal-Mart Foundation awards grants at the state and regional level to support unmet needs that are not directly addressed by the company’s current national programs or local grants given by stores.

“At Wal-Mart, we are committed to supporting causes that are important to our customers and believe that by giving back locally, we can make the greatest impact on our communities,” said Michelle Azel Belaire, senior manager of public affairs for Wal-Mart.  “We are proud to be giving these grants to Broward County organizations that are truly making a difference in the community.”

How to apply for a SGP grant:
State Giving Program applications are accepted year-round through the online application system: http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/8168.aspx

The Foundation has adopted four areas of focus: Education, Workforce Development, Environmental Sustainability and Health & Wellness. While the Wal-Mart Foundation encourages funding requests that align with its four areas of focus, programs that do not align with the four areas of focus are also given full consideration for funding.

The Foundation encourages organizations with a current, valid 501(c)(3) tax exemption status throughout Florida to apply for funding through the State Giving Program. 

Applications will be valid only for the Fiscal Year during which they were submitted (February – January). Once a state’s giving program budget has been allocated, additional funding requests for that state will not be reviewed. The 2009 program submission deadlines and updated funding guidelines will be posted in February 2009: http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/8168.aspx.

About Wal-Mart’s State Giving Program
Through the State Giving Program, the Wal-Mart Foundation is awarding grants at the state and regional level to support unmet needs that are not directly addressed by any of the Foundation’s current programs. The Foundation encourages organizations with a current, valid 501(c)(3) tax exemption status throughout Florida to apply for funding through the State Giving Program. 

About Philanthropy at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and the Wal-Mart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, the Wal-Mart Foundation supports initiatives focused on enhancing opportunities in education, job skills training, sustainability and health. In 2007, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and the Wal-Mart Foundation gave $296 million to communities across the United States. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

Contact: Thor Barraclough
954.410.4410 thorb@bcckids.org