The Walmart Foundation has donated $50,000 to Loaves & Fishes to help us reduce hunger in our community. Brian Bolliger, Loaves & Fishes’ Board Member, and LaVerne Mathews, Director of Advancement, were presented with a check from Greg Szarzynski, Walmart Store Manager, as part of the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program, which supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better and that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.
As a result of the grant, Loaves & Fishes plans to empower more client families to self-sufficiency through our Client Engagement Model, which provides necessary resources, such as job search support, computer classes, grocery assistance, public benefit assistance, mental health counseling and Veterans’ benefit assistance. This integrated approach promotes long-term results for families struggling to make ends meet by increasing economic stability while addressing underlying issues that eventually manifest into food insecurity.
“Finding solutions for families can be a daunting task,” said Megan Selck, President & CEO of Loaves & Fishes. “The grant from the Walmart Foundation has made it possible for us to expand our efforts by training more volunteer leaders who act as the ‘front-line’ for the Client Engagement Model. This, in turn, will help us create more care plans for our client families, and we anticipate that more client families will improve their household conditions and be closer to becoming self-sufficient.”
This donation has a special significance for Walmart Associate Judith Rodeo, who got help from Loaves & Fishes when her house was foreclosed on in 2009.
“I have two sons and when we needed help with medical insurance and finding food, Loaves & Fishes was there for us,” Judith said. “I’m so proud to be working for a company that recognizes the importance of organizations like this. They were a real blessing for me and my family and with this donation from the Walmart Foundation, they can keep blessing others.”