In keeping with Walmart’s corporate philosophy, a grant of $165,000 from the Walmart Foundation is helping Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter to save money and helping the abused and neglected kids in its care to live better.
The grant, awarded in May as part of the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program, is funding:
- Emergency Care Program support. This includes expenses associated with meeting the children’s basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, toiletries, etc., along with 24-hour supervised care.
- Design and installation of a new resident information database.
- A minivan to transport children in the Children’s Shelter’s care to and from appointments for services such as medical, dental and vision care and to be used for small-group outings.
- “Rewards cash” for residents as positive reinforcement for displaying desired behaviors and attitudes. Residents may save the money or spend it on toys and other goodies at “The Cart” (the behavior-management program’s in-house rewards store) or on outings.
“Walmart has played a key role in supporting our mission throughout the nearly 20 years that we have been caring for abused and neglected children,” said Steve Schotta, the Children’s Shelter’s Executive Director. “This grant, which represents more than 5 percent of our 2013 budget, helps us conserve our hard-earned financial resources and continue to provide high-quality care and hope for a better future to the children in our care. And as an organization that has to raise about 75 percent of an annual budget of more than $3 million, grants like this are vitally important.”
About the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter
The Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter is a private, non-profit organization that provides 24-hour emergency residential care to children and teens from throughout Arkansas who are victims of abuse or neglect. The 48-bed Children’s Shelter, which currently serves about 550 children per year, has served more than 6,600 children since opening its doors at Vaughn (southwest of Bentonville) in 1993. Children may stay up to 45 days in a six-month period, until they can be placed in foster care or return to their families. For more information, visit www.nwacs.org.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 1 billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.